Sebastian Karcher
@adam42smith.bsky.social
Director, Qualitative Data Repository (personal account).
Data, Zotero, Social Science Methods
https://sebastiankarcher.com
Data, Zotero, Social Science Methods
https://sebastiankarcher.com
You'd have figured they learned about the importance of getting business names straight right in front of Four Seasons Total Landscaping, but alas...
It's the "Magnificent Mile"; crime in Chicago is down significantly; vacancy rates on the Magnificent Mile are improving from 34% two years ago (obviously this problem is hardly solved, of course)
Other than that, spot on.
Other than that, spot on.
Call in the troops to solve the commercial real estate crisis in our swanky downtown cores
You can’t make this shit up, folks
You can’t make this shit up, folks
November 11, 2025 at 5:09 PM
You'd have figured they learned about the importance of getting business names straight right in front of Four Seasons Total Landscaping, but alas...
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
Wait...! I know these people!
@lyndamk.bsky.social 🥳
@lyndamk.bsky.social 🥳
This week we have a conversation between Sam and two of the leaders of the independent volunteer archiving project Save Our Signs, an effort to archive national park signs and monument placards.
Podcast: A Massive Archiving Effort at National Parks (with Jenny McBurney and Lynda Kellam)
This week we have a conversation between Sam and two of the leaders of the independent volunteer archiving project Save Our Signs, an effort to archive national park signs and monument placards.
www.404media.co
November 10, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Wait...! I know these people!
@lyndamk.bsky.social 🥳
@lyndamk.bsky.social 🥳
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
Do you happen to work with data from the Integrated World Values/European Values Study? If so beware: there is a rather influential coding error in the variable on religious denomination (F025). Go and check e.g. Spain and Germany and compare to F025_EVS and F025_WVS @gesis-dataservices.bsky.social
November 7, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Do you happen to work with data from the Integrated World Values/European Values Study? If so beware: there is a rather influential coding error in the variable on religious denomination (F025). Go and check e.g. Spain and Germany and compare to F025_EVS and F025_WVS @gesis-dataservices.bsky.social
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
early career scholar and their first publication
November 9, 2025 at 9:41 AM
early career scholar and their first publication
I did not know this. It's still kind of surprising how many parts of US gov't that everyone assume are in the constitution are just made up by a couple of people on the spot and then everyone else was just like 🤷I guess them's the laws now?
SCOTUS judicial review, filibuster, government shutdowns...
SCOTUS judicial review, filibuster, government shutdowns...
Did you know gov shutdowns aren’t in the Constitution, any law, or Court ruling?
They exist because of a 1980 OLC memo—a lawyer’s opinion that everyone just went along with. Before 1980, funding gaps didn’t cause shutdowns.
What one memo created, another can undo. How the next D admin can undo it:
They exist because of a 1980 OLC memo—a lawyer’s opinion that everyone just went along with. Before 1980, funding gaps didn’t cause shutdowns.
What one memo created, another can undo. How the next D admin can undo it:
Why America’s Government Shutdowns Exist and How to End Them
One Legal Memo Created The Shutdown Era. Another Can End It.
open.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:08 PM
I did not know this. It's still kind of surprising how many parts of US gov't that everyone assume are in the constitution are just made up by a couple of people on the spot and then everyone else was just like 🤷I guess them's the laws now?
SCOTUS judicial review, filibuster, government shutdowns...
SCOTUS judicial review, filibuster, government shutdowns...
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
We have just published the call for the Nuffield Postdoctoral Prize Research Fellowships in Politics. These are 3-year fully-funded postdocs that will allow you to focus on your research in a great academic environment. (And with excellent food)
www.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/the-college/...
www.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/the-college/...
Postdoctoral Prize Research Fellowships in Politics - Nuffield College Oxford University
www.nuffield.ox.ac.uk
November 6, 2025 at 1:27 PM
We have just published the call for the Nuffield Postdoctoral Prize Research Fellowships in Politics. These are 3-year fully-funded postdocs that will allow you to focus on your research in a great academic environment. (And with excellent food)
www.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/the-college/...
www.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/the-college/...
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
I recommend people take the time to read the (quite well written) paper. Ungated preprint: osf.io/preprints/so...
My initial take is that the ethics violations are even more egregious than the abstract suggests, but the evidence more messy & mixed than exactly the obvious of what WPF claimed.
My initial take is that the ethics violations are even more egregious than the abstract suggests, but the evidence more messy & mixed than exactly the obvious of what WPF claimed.
November 6, 2025 at 4:53 AM
I recommend people take the time to read the (quite well written) paper. Ungated preprint: osf.io/preprints/so...
My initial take is that the ethics violations are even more egregious than the abstract suggests, but the evidence more messy & mixed than exactly the obvious of what WPF claimed.
My initial take is that the ethics violations are even more egregious than the abstract suggests, but the evidence more messy & mixed than exactly the obvious of what WPF claimed.
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
Our School of Information Sciences is running four searches, and we can hire more than four candidates. Here’s the first link, for a job that might appeal to people working in history of information, history of science, or digital humanities. +
Assistant/Associate/Full Professor in Information, Culture & Society - School of Information Science
Duties & Responsibilities
illinois.csod.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Our School of Information Sciences is running four searches, and we can hire more than four candidates. Here’s the first link, for a job that might appeal to people working in history of information, history of science, or digital humanities. +
I recommend people take the time to read the (quite well written) paper. Ungated preprint: osf.io/preprints/so...
My initial take is that the ethics violations are even more egregious than the abstract suggests, but the evidence more messy & mixed than exactly the obvious of what WPF claimed.
My initial take is that the ethics violations are even more egregious than the abstract suggests, but the evidence more messy & mixed than exactly the obvious of what WPF claimed.
November 6, 2025 at 4:53 AM
I recommend people take the time to read the (quite well written) paper. Ungated preprint: osf.io/preprints/so...
My initial take is that the ethics violations are even more egregious than the abstract suggests, but the evidence more messy & mixed than exactly the obvious of what WPF claimed.
My initial take is that the ethics violations are even more egregious than the abstract suggests, but the evidence more messy & mixed than exactly the obvious of what WPF claimed.
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
New favourite example of structural ambiguity
November 5, 2025 at 4:54 AM
New favourite example of structural ambiguity
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
In 2023, I interviewed the parents who organized this effort to oust Moms for Liberty. If you want to know more — and maybe learn from them! — check it out.
Congrats to them for getting rid of them all!
www.salon.com/2023/10/10/m...
Congrats to them for getting rid of them all!
www.salon.com/2023/10/10/m...
November 5, 2025 at 10:55 AM
In 2023, I interviewed the parents who organized this effort to oust Moms for Liberty. If you want to know more — and maybe learn from them! — check it out.
Congrats to them for getting rid of them all!
www.salon.com/2023/10/10/m...
Congrats to them for getting rid of them all!
www.salon.com/2023/10/10/m...
Earth shaking is confirmed by local media (gift link):
www.syracuse.com/politics/cny...
www.syracuse.com/politics/cny...
November 5, 2025 at 4:58 AM
Earth shaking is confirmed by local media (gift link):
www.syracuse.com/politics/cny...
www.syracuse.com/politics/cny...
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
i want to repeat this: mamdani and spanberger have run similar campaigns tailored to their respective electorates and it is maddening to watch political journalists attempt to create some broad contrast where none exist
the other thing about this is that there is no reason to pit these candidates against each other? each are good fits for their respective electorates and each shows the value of vigorous campaigns focused on the stated material problems of voters.
November 4, 2025 at 1:37 PM
i want to repeat this: mamdani and spanberger have run similar campaigns tailored to their respective electorates and it is maddening to watch political journalists attempt to create some broad contrast where none exist
Which has the obvious Bsky meta-flame war corollary: "Good on Shapiro" vs. "You do not, in fact, gotta hand it to Shapiro"
(I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm team 'good on Shapiro' on this)
(I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm team 'good on Shapiro' on this)
Over on X, there's a massive flame war between the "Hitler had some good points" and "you do not in fact gotta hand it to Hitler" factions of the online right
November 3, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Which has the obvious Bsky meta-flame war corollary: "Good on Shapiro" vs. "You do not, in fact, gotta hand it to Shapiro"
(I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm team 'good on Shapiro' on this)
(I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm team 'good on Shapiro' on this)
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
It's easy for some of you to just never use LLMs and just criticize people who do. I would like to be in that situation. But here I am, with my moderator volunteers, assessing hundreds of papers submitted to @socarxiv.bsky.social, trying to decide how to fairly judge whether to accept them. /1
November 2, 2025 at 2:36 PM
It's easy for some of you to just never use LLMs and just criticize people who do. I would like to be in that situation. But here I am, with my moderator volunteers, assessing hundreds of papers submitted to @socarxiv.bsky.social, trying to decide how to fairly judge whether to accept them. /1
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
How to make a sociological argument
October 31, 2025 at 1:23 PM
How to make a sociological argument
When they say "plummeted" they really do mean _plummeted_. I'm not even sure there's a precedent for a >30ppt drop in attendance . E.g. Met Opera attendance fell from 75% pre-COVID to 61% in the first post-COVID season 2021-22 (and has since gone back up to 72%).
Gift link: wapo.st/4hxOdFo
Gift link: wapo.st/4hxOdFo
October 31, 2025 at 3:25 PM
When they say "plummeted" they really do mean _plummeted_. I'm not even sure there's a precedent for a >30ppt drop in attendance . E.g. Met Opera attendance fell from 75% pre-COVID to 61% in the first post-COVID season 2021-22 (and has since gone back up to 72%).
Gift link: wapo.st/4hxOdFo
Gift link: wapo.st/4hxOdFo
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
#polisky doctoral candidates: $10,000 for dissertation research, due December 1
www.horowitz-foundation.org/apply
www.horowitz-foundation.org/apply
October 16, 2025 at 2:51 PM
#polisky doctoral candidates: $10,000 for dissertation research, due December 1
www.horowitz-foundation.org/apply
www.horowitz-foundation.org/apply
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
Setting aside the long term effects on population, what would be the short run economic effect of an increase in the birth rate, if it were somehow achieved? More babies, more kid-related consumption, but also lower labor force participation by mothers. Etc. What should I read about this?
October 31, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Setting aside the long term effects on population, what would be the short run economic effect of an increase in the birth rate, if it were somehow achieved? More babies, more kid-related consumption, but also lower labor force participation by mothers. Etc. What should I read about this?
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
I built a DAG diagram with garden hoses for teaching.
Pictured: a collider bias diagram, inspired by a blocked pipe situation I experienced (which I credit with giving me the intuition though it also ruined my belongings in the flooded cellar).
Pictured: a collider bias diagram, inspired by a blocked pipe situation I experienced (which I credit with giving me the intuition though it also ruined my belongings in the flooded cellar).
October 28, 2025 at 5:50 PM
I built a DAG diagram with garden hoses for teaching.
Pictured: a collider bias diagram, inspired by a blocked pipe situation I experienced (which I credit with giving me the intuition though it also ruined my belongings in the flooded cellar).
Pictured: a collider bias diagram, inspired by a blocked pipe situation I experienced (which I credit with giving me the intuition though it also ruined my belongings in the flooded cellar).
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
Genuinely delighted to download a PhD thesis from a university repository where the author has neglected to remove the words "BITCH THIS IS YOUR THESIS" from the filename.
October 30, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Genuinely delighted to download a PhD thesis from a university repository where the author has neglected to remove the words "BITCH THIS IS YOUR THESIS" from the filename.
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
A new postdoc position is now available at the Center for European Studies at Harvard for 2026 2027, The Guido Goldman postdoctoral fellowship, named after our center's founder
A great opportunity to work at Harvard for the year. Here is more information:
ces.fas.harvard.edu/opportunitie...
A great opportunity to work at Harvard for the year. Here is more information:
ces.fas.harvard.edu/opportunitie...
Guido Goldman Fellowship
Guido Goldman, co-founding director of the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies The Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies (CES) is…
ces.fas.harvard.edu
October 30, 2025 at 12:54 PM
A new postdoc position is now available at the Center for European Studies at Harvard for 2026 2027, The Guido Goldman postdoctoral fellowship, named after our center's founder
A great opportunity to work at Harvard for the year. Here is more information:
ces.fas.harvard.edu/opportunitie...
A great opportunity to work at Harvard for the year. Here is more information:
ces.fas.harvard.edu/opportunitie...
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
chat's personalized flattery is getting out of hand
October 29, 2025 at 3:46 PM
chat's personalized flattery is getting out of hand
Reposted by Sebastian Karcher
📊 Today, the CWTS Leiden Ranking 2025 has been released. The new Open Edition marks a next step towards more open and more inclusive research analytics for universities. Our new blog post highlights the most significant developments.
👇 Read it now on Leiden Madtrics
👇 Read it now on Leiden Madtrics
The CWTS Leiden Ranking 2025 - More open, more inclusive, more informative
The release of the CWTS Leiden Ranking 2025 marks a next step toward more open and more inclusive research analytics for universities. This post highlights the most significant developments.
www.leidenmadtrics.nl
October 29, 2025 at 12:35 PM
📊 Today, the CWTS Leiden Ranking 2025 has been released. The new Open Edition marks a next step towards more open and more inclusive research analytics for universities. Our new blog post highlights the most significant developments.
👇 Read it now on Leiden Madtrics
👇 Read it now on Leiden Madtrics