Measurement in Economics: A Handbook

by Marcel Boumans

"Measurement in Economics: A Handbook" aims to serve as a source, reference, and teaching supplement for quantitative empirical economics, inside and outside the laboratory. Covering an extensive range of fields in economics: econometrics, actuarial science, experimental economics, index theory, national accounts, and economic forecasting, it is the first book that takes measurement in economics as its central focus. It shows how different and sometimes distinct fields share the same kind of measurement problems and so how the treatment of these problems in one field can function as a guidance in other fields. This volume provides comprehensive and up-to-date surveys of recent developments in economic measurement, written at a level intended for professional use by economists, econometricians, statisticians and social scientists. It employs an integrative approach of measurement in economics. It contains multi-disciplinary chapters and up-to-date survey of measurement literature in economics and econometrics.

458 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Marcel Boumans is historian and philosopher of science at Utrecht University. His main research focus is on understanding empirical research practices in economics from a philosophy of science-in-practice perspective. He is particularly interested in the practices of measurement and modeling and the role of mathematics in social science. These topics are covered by his most recent monograph Science outside the Laboratory (2015). His current research project is on vision and visualization, focused on an epistemological understanding of expert judgments.

Reviews

[Monzenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm happy to give this book five stars. Part philosophy of measurement, part mathematical formulas and statistical tests, part a narration of the real experiences of measuring economic metrics on the ground. Measurement in Economics has something for everyone.