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The Code Review SE allows programmers to submit code snippets for peer review. Might the Economics SE offer a similar function? For example, one could submit a short and focused set of methods and procedures to accomplish a well-defined, limited goal and answers would review, criticize or suggest improvements to all or part of the methods. Of course, guidelines would need to be in place, for example keeping to topics that are not only of interest to the questioner (and to avoid submission of entire papers). But, if the rules could be sorted, such a function would be of great use to those of us who do applied work and could be a good learning experience for all.

Proposal: Economics

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I'm not really sure how that would work for economics, which doesn't have an established "methodology review" process, but I see no reason the site wouldn't be able to handle an occasional question of that nature (once it has reached a certain critical mass of knowledgeable users).

Overall, though, I'd prefer to think of the site as more analogous to math.SE or physics.SE (although the proposal description seems to aspire towards a level more like math overflow or theoretical physics, I'm not sure we'll achieve that with the first SE site on economics, given all the college-level questions various SE network users seem to have).

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  • Thanks, I guess I'm confused about the audience of this site. The proposal says it is aimed at graduate-level and professional economists, but your answer (and most of the example questions) seem to imply that users would be non-specialists and undergraduates. The only motivation I can think of for professionals to use the site (other than the desire to help others) is to get feedback from folks outside their normal circle, and perhaps technical math/stat questions (which are already handled on other SEs). Otherwise, most of us turn to our collaborators and colleagues for help.
    – Jason B
    Commented Oct 5, 2011 at 17:22
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    @JasonB I think there is a groundswell of demand for a site that will answer people's college level questions, while SE itself is simply not (currently) sufficiently well known amongst graduate students and professors to be viable for those alone. Having said that, as a PhD Economist myself, I would prefer the site be aimed higher as well, I just do not realistically think that will happen.
    – Tal Fishman
    Commented Oct 5, 2011 at 17:43

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