Quantitative Methods and Data in the History, Philosophy, and Methodology of Economics
Œconomia – History / Methodology / Philosophy invites submission of articles that present, discuss, or make innovative use of data and quantitative methods in the study of the history, philosophy, and methodology of economics.
These areas of research now commonly employ quantitative methods, often relying on newly constructed datasets developed by the authors themselves. The application of various quantitative methods has proven to produce novel insights into the history, philosophy, and methodology of economics. However, we believe that the conventional publication model, which emphasizes the delivery of these “novel insights,” is not always the most effective framework for fostering reflective engagement with these datasets and methods.
Indeed, this model often discourages authors from elaborating on the challenges involved in building their datasets: What kind of research questions are these datasets aimed at addressing? What data may be missing to that aim? What are the appropriate uses and limitations of the dataset(s)? These reflections—vital for grasping what such datasets can truly offer—are frequently relegated to appendices (often hosted externally by the authors themselves) or omitted altogether to avoid the perception of weakening the core contribution.
Similarly, when the primary goal is to contribute directly to the history, philosophy, and methodology of economics, authors may feel justified in minimizing methodological detail—including the alternative methods considered, complex decisions made, and potential pitfalls encountered. As a result, transparent and critical accounts of database construction and quantitative method implementation are largely absent.
This lack of open, reflective engagement may hinder collective understanding of these practices and slow the progress of researchers who face similar challenges—unaware that others have already addressed them but left no public trace of it.
To address this gap, Œconomia welcomes contributions on topics including:
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the creation, documentation, and sharing of data (quantitative or qualitative) relevant to the history and philosophy of economics;
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the impact of such data on research in our field;
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the presentation of new methods—quantitative or mixed with qualitative approaches—applied to the analysis of texts, networks, institutions, or scientific practices in economics;
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critical discussions of existing methods and their implications for research in history, philosophy, and methodology of economics.
In particular, Œconomia is open to the following formats:
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“Data papers”, following the model used in some journals in economics or other social sciences;
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“Methodological papers”, focused on method and its implications for research in history, philosophy, and methodology of economics.
We strongly encourage submissions that include openly accessible data, code, or other research materials.
Aside from the requirement that the length of the article and the number of figures should suit the argument, published articles will not be constrained by page-limit or black-and-white printing. As an online journal, Œconomia can accommodate high-quality full-colour figures and tables, along with supplementary materials such as datasets or code. However, interactive content (applications, interactive maps, etc.) cannot be hosted.
All submissions will undergo peer review, based on criteria appropriate to this type of contribution, including:
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the rigour and coherence of the methodological approach;
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the clarity, transparency, and documentation of data or tools;
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the contribution to methodological and historiographical reflection in the history, philosophy, and methodology of economics.
This call is permanent: manuscripts may be submitted at any time through Œconomia’s regular submission platform. Please indicate “Permanent Call: Quantitative Methods and Data” in your cover letter and tick the appropriate “Section” box during the submission process.

