News

Three Degrees of Influence

By Ann Starkey, November 4 2009

In Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives, IQSS Faculty Associate Nicholas Christakis and coauthor James Fowler describe research into the ways in which our social networks influence us.

Facilitating Efficient Land Assembly

Submitted by Scott Duke Kominers on October 28, 2009 - 12:33pm

E. Glen Weyl and Scott Duke Kominers have developed a rigorous model of the "holdout problem" which encompasses land takings and a host of other applications such as corporate acquisitions, mutual relations between firms, and patent pool formation.

New Study Shows Approval Ratings for Lawmakers Jump by 18% on Average with Internet Town Hall Meetin

By Emily Ware, October 26 2009

David Lazer, Director of the Program on Networked Governance and IQSS Faculty Affiliate, is the lead author of a recent study on the effectiveness of Internet town hall meetings.

World Bank's SIEF Initiative Makes Use of IQSS Talent

By Ann Starkey, October 23 2009

The World Bank's SIEF initiative trains ministries of education, health, and finance for governments across the world on how to incorporate randomized evaluations as an organic part of their policies. IQSS grad student Plamen Nikolov serves as a staff member.

IQSS Forms New Research Computing for the Social Sciences Group

By Ann Starkey, October 8 2009

FAS Dean Mike Smith announced on Tuesday, October 6, a plan to consolidate research computing functions within the Division of Social Sciences into a single entity, to be maintained under the auspice of IQSS. The new Research Computing for the Social Sciences (RCSS) group ultimately reports to the Dean of the Division of Social Science via Gary King, Director of IQSS.

Applying Economic Theory to the Spread of HIV

Submitted by Plamen Nikolov on October 7, 2009 - 11:05am

AIDS is first and foremost a public health problem, but it is a problem with deep economic roots. Economists have a vital role to play in helping public health officials and policymakers understand the AIDS epidemic and design efficient policies to limit its impact.

Visiting Scholar Laub Nominated to Director, National Institute of Justice

By Ann Starkey, October 5 2009

President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the several individuals to key administration posts on Friday, October 2. John Laub, a Visiting Scholar at IQSS, was nominated to the position of Director, National Institute of Justice (NIJ), a part of the U.S. Department of Justice.

RCE rbuild Script Supports Collaborative R Development Work

By Ann Starkey, September 23 2009

One of the many tools that HMDC provides to support researchers is a program called rbuild.pl, which enables collaboration on development of R packages within the hosted Research Computing Environment (RCE).

IQSS Assists Faculty With Winning and Administering Grants

By Ann Starkey, September 21 2009

At IQSS, our grants administration team makes it simple for faculty to submit proposals and manage grants. IQSS Grants Manager Ali Saren leads a team of experienced individuals who provide comprehensive support throughout the grants administration process.

New Paper Examines the Dimensions of Movie Criticism

By Emily Ware, September 16 2009

In a recent paper entitled, "Scaling the Critics: Uncovering the Latent Dimensions of Movie Criticism with an Item Response Approach," Arthur Spirling (IQSS, Harvard University) and Michael Peress (University of Rochester) study the way that movie critics--like Roger Ebert  and Owen Gleiberman--make their decisions.