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Big Data and Ideational Institutionalism. Reconsidering the Possibilities and Limitations of Google Ngram in the Study of Ideas

Bibliographic Data

ID6445720
AuthorsThomas Kestler (0000-0002-5695-0326, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume66
Issue2
Pages407-420
Publication date2024-09-16
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePolitische Vierteljahresschrift. Sonderheft (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0720-4809 • E-ISSN: 1862-2860
PublisherSpringer VS (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1007/s11615-024-00569-4
OpenAlexW4402795350
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited21

Ideas and ideational change are difficult to grasp. When exactly did the idea of sustainability emerge? How has the meaning of democracy changed over time? Did ideational change precede or follow institutional change? These and many similar questions are highly relevant to the emerging field of ideational institutionalism, but they are difficult to answer conclusively without reliable data. Google Books Ngram Viewer , a tool introduced in 2011, opens up new possibilities in this regard by allowing the analysis of millions of print sources over time. However, after initial euphoria, its use has waned somewhat due to growing doubts about its reliability and the validity of the results it produces. Some of these problems have been addressed, but the debate about the potential and limitations of Google Books Ngram Viewer is ongoing. This research note will contribute to this debate by proposing a systematization for the use of search terms based on the concept of belief systems and by presenting the results of a reliability test for the German language corpus

Epistemology · Institutionalism · New institutionalism · Political science · Politics · Social science · Sociology · Law · Philosophy · Qualitative Comparative Analysis Research

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  • Treason and Political Community

    Open Access•Benjamin De Carvalho•International Political Sociology•2025

  • How ideas matter in public policy

    Open Access•Marij Swinkels•International Review of Public…•2020

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  • The Motivational Power of Ideas in Institutions and Collective Action

    Open Access•Thomas Kestler•Human Studies•2023

  • Power through, over and in ideas

    Open Access•Martin B Carstensen, Vivien A Schmidt•Journal of European Public Policy•2016

  • Ideational Theorizing in the Social Sciences since “PolicyParadigms,SocialLearning, and theState

    Open Access•Berman, Sheri Berman•Governance•2013

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  • Google Books Ngrams and Political Science

    Open Access•Sean Richey, J Benjamin Taylor•PS Political Science & Politics•2020

  • Discursive Institutionalism

    Vivien A Schmidt•Annual Review of Political Science•2008

  • The Limits to Growth

    Donella H Meadows, Dennis L Meadows et al.•The Limits to growth•1972

  • Individualism and First Person Pronoun Use in Written Texts Across Languages

    Open Access•Irem Uz•Journal of Cross-Cultural…•2014

  • Changes in Pronoun Use in American Books and the Rise of Individualism, 1960-2008

    Open Access•J M Twenge, W Keith Campbell et al.•Journal of Cross-Cultural…•2013

Unique citing works2
Citations per year2
Citation span2025 - 2026 (2)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 2

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