TY - JOUR
T1 - The Babel of European Union Studies
T2 - Beyond the Trans-Atlantic Divide
AU - Jensen, Mads Christian Dagnis
AU - Kristensen, Peter Marcus
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - This article examines four lines of scholarly difference in European Union (EU) studies – meta-theoretical, (sub)disciplinary, epistemological and methodological – and whether these are linked to the geographical and institutional affiliations of the authors operating in the field. The study uses a novel dataset based on a quantitative content analysis and human coding of 1597 articles in leading journals dealing with the EU published in the period 2003–2012. The article shows that USA-based scholars score on average – though in many cases, not significantly – higher when it comes to indicators of a comparative politics approach to the EU, use of a rational choice, positivist and statistical vocabulary, and articles coded as quantitative. However, on most of these indicators scholars in some European countries, and especially some institutions, score significantly higher, suggesting that we should disaggregate ‘Europe’ when discussing scholarly differences in the field.
AB - This article examines four lines of scholarly difference in European Union (EU) studies – meta-theoretical, (sub)disciplinary, epistemological and methodological – and whether these are linked to the geographical and institutional affiliations of the authors operating in the field. The study uses a novel dataset based on a quantitative content analysis and human coding of 1597 articles in leading journals dealing with the EU published in the period 2003–2012. The article shows that USA-based scholars score on average – though in many cases, not significantly – higher when it comes to indicators of a comparative politics approach to the EU, use of a rational choice, positivist and statistical vocabulary, and articles coded as quantitative. However, on most of these indicators scholars in some European countries, and especially some institutions, score significantly higher, suggesting that we should disaggregate ‘Europe’ when discussing scholarly differences in the field.
KW - European Union studies
KW - meta-analysis
KW - quantitative–qualitative divide
KW - scholarly styles
KW - sociology of science
U2 - 10.1057/s41304-017-0125-8
DO - 10.1057/s41304-017-0125-8
M3 - Journal article
SN - 1680-4333
VL - 17
SP - 437
EP - 465
JO - European Political Science
JF - European Political Science
IS - 3
ER -