When you read about a new study, you may wonder: How accurate are these results' MIT economist Isaiah Andrews PhD '14 often asks that as well, especially about social sciences research. Unlike most of us, though, Andrews' job involves answering that question. Andrews, a professor in MIT's Department of Economics, is an expert in econometrics, the study of the methods used in economics. But the purpose of his specialty defies simple boundaries. After all, the point of refining research methods is to make applied studies better ' and to better grasp their limits. 'There are many fields in economics that answer socially significant questions,' Andrews says. 'There are things it would be good for us to understand, but I often find myself interested in how sure we are about them. To what extent do we know the things we think we know' To what extent is there more to know, based on the uncertainty and degree of confidence' These issues of uncertainty matter because the answers to the...
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