TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Catalini, Christian
AU  - Fons-Rosen, Christian
AU  - Gaule, Patrick
        TI  - Did Cheaper Flights Change the Direction of Science?
        PY  - 2016/Apr/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 9897
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/index.php/publications/dp9897
        AB  - We test how a reduction in travel cost affects the rate and direction of scientific research. Using a fine-grained, scientist-level dataset within chemistry (1991-2012), we find that after Southwest Airlines enters a new route, scientific collaboration increases by 50%, an effect that is magnified when weighting output by quality. The benefits from the lower fares, however, are not uniform across scientist types: younger scientists and scientists that are more productive than their local peers respond the most. Thus, cheaper flights, by reducing frictions otherwise induced by geography and allowing for additional face-to-face interactions, seem to enable better matches over distance.
        KW  - temporary co-location
KW  - air travel
KW  - scientific collaboration
KW  - face-to-face meetings
        ER  -