To the Dispute about the Method: Poverty Research or Poverty of Research? (On the Paper by M. Lokshin “Does Poverty Research in Russia Follow the Scientific Method?”)

Abstract

The paper prepared in connection with the publication of the article by M. Lokshin discusses some central issues of the methodology, technique and interpretation of results of economic research. Structuring the corpus of studies is offered depending on the degree of using empirical, phenomenological and theoretical knowledge of the investigated phenomenon. On the basis of the analysis of typical processes of modeling socio-economic phenomena the conclusion is made about the significant influence of subjective and tool assumptions on the results of modeling that complicates their simple interpretation. The necessity of publishing the full spectrum of scientific articles - from critical reviews and essays to empirical calculations - in each field of research including poverty studies is grounded.