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There Is Nothing Outside the Text, and There Is No Safety in Numbers: A Reply to Sullivan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2009

Patrick K. O’Brien ,
Trevor Griffiths  and
Philip Hunt
Patrick K. O’Brien
Affiliation:
The Director of the Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, Malet Street, London WCIE 7HU
Trevor Griffiths
Affiliation:
Research Associates at the Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, Malet Street, London WCIE 7HU
Philip Hunt
Affiliation:
Research Associates at the Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, Malet Street, London WCIE 7HU
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Extract

Historians and economists have long been in need of index numbers to measure both the volume (real value) of activity that is undertaken to produce process or product innovations over time, and also a counterpart index that might capture the outcome of that activity (the volume of inventions) that come on stream year after year. For purposes of measurement the first index can in principle be equated (within tolerable limits of accuracy) with the real annual expenditures on research and development as recorded (at least for recent times) in governmental, corporate, company, and other accounts. Alas, for years before 1914 national or even industry-wide research and development expenditures are very rarely recorded in a form that might allow for the construction of an index number.

Type
Notes and Discussions
Information
The Journal of Economic History , Volume 55 , Issue 3 , September 1995 , pp. 671 - 672
Copyright
Copyright © The Economic History Association 1995

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