Prosopography

Abstract

Prosopography, or less accurately collective biography, is a method of analyzing of what a group of people from a specific historical context have or have not in common. Although it is a well-established method, it is novel to the history of economics. In this chapter I outline how to apply prosopography and argue that it provides an interpretative framework for understanding academic communities. With the help of a number of examples I show where its potential lies.