TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Giuliano, Paola
AU  - Matranga, Andrea
        TI  - Historical Data: Where to Find Them, How to Use Them
        PY  - 2020/Oct/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 13788
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/publications/dp13788
        AB  - The use of historical data has become a standard tool in economics, serving three main purposes: to examine the influence of the past on current economic outcomes; to use unique natural experiments to test modern economic theories; and to use modern economic theories to refine our understanding of important historical events. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the types of historical data most commonly used in economic research and discuss a variety of issues that they raise, such as the constant change in national and administrative borders; the reshuffling of ethnic groups due to migration, colonialism, natural disasters, and many other forces. We also point out which methodological advances allow economists to overcome or minimize these problems.
        KW  - ethnographic data
KW  - geographical data
KW  - historical data
KW  - censuses
        ER  -