In particular, the Department strives for international recognition through publication of research papers in leading refereed journals and through international visibility at high-level conferences. Thus, the members of the Department orient themselves in their activities and methods to the standards employed by international scientific journals to publishable research.
The Department tries to achieve a balance between basic and applied research. In both contexts, research has to be carried out independently from the interests of specific groups in society or funders. Empirical, quantitative research focuses particularly on the evaluation of policy measures. The Department is in a leading position in Austria with respect to research in applied microeconomics and the application of corresponding econometric methods.
The fields of research are determined by the specific interests and experiences of the Department’s staff members as well as by considerations of the developments in science and society. Currently the main research areas are:
- Applied microeconomics with a focus on labour, health and related fields
- Industrial organisation
- Macroeconomics, trade and the public sector
- Quantitative research
In all of these fields, the particular success of the Department’s research activities is documented through publications in reputable and internationally refereed scientific journals. The Department is ranked first in Austria and 158 worldwide, e.g. in the IDEAS ranking considering only the 10 best economists each (last update: March 2023, opens an external URL in a new window).