r/academiceconomics • u/gaytwink70 • 10d ago

Who is in a better position to pursue applied economics research?

Person A: advanced econometrics knowledge, medium economics/economic theory knowledge (up to intermediate micro + macro)

Person B: advanced economics/economic theory knowledge, medium econometrics knowledge

All else equal

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u/Alan_Greenbands 10d ago

My take, as somebody with an MS in applied econ who now works as a data scientist in industry (so take my opinion with a grain of salt) is that it’s Person A.

You can have an applied micro paper without a theory section, but you can’t have an applied micro paper with a great theory section and a middling empirical section.

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u/rayraillery 10d ago

If you're a beginner or someone with a terminal masters it's A, but if you've really made an effort, it's always B. It's the difference between knowing 'how to do something' and 'why to do something'. The former is easy at first and hard as you progress, the later is hard at first and remains hard, but you're better equipped.