Data Citations and Reproducibility in the Undergraduate Curriculum

Abstract

We believe reproducibility should be part of the undergraduate curriculum in economics because it is a valuable professional skill. It should be developed by consistently citing the data sources used in economic arguments. Good data citations help document the work of collecting the data used in research. We must instill the practice of citing the data both by leading by example and by enrolling the help of librarians. This is not a standalone skill associated with a single course or topic, but a fundamental skill for future academic and professional success. We argue it should be demonstrated and emphasized throughout the curriculum.The scholarship of teaching and learning in economics documents multiple efforts to bring the quantitative dimension of our professional work closer to the undergraduate college curriculum. Economics educators describing data-focused assignments and projects (