The Economics Job Market Rumors forum, commonly known as Ejmr Finance, is an online discussion board focused on academic finance and economics. Launched in 2004, EJMR quickly became a popular but controversial venue for academics to anonymously share news, opinions, gossip, and rumors related to the economics and finance job markets, research, and academia.
The EJMR forums cover a wide range of topics related to academic life, including admissions, research, rankings, journals, job openings, interviews, offers, salaries, departments, seminars, and conferences. Members can start new discussion threads or comment on existing threads in a Reddit-like format. While professional topics are the main focus, there are also sections for casual conversation. The anonymity provided by EJMR facilitates open and candid discussions, though it has also enabled unprofessional and discriminatory content. At its peak, EJMR had over 40,000 registered members and received millions of page views per month.
Reputation and Controversies
The Economics Job Market Rumors forum, more commonly known as EJMR, has developed a reputation for being abrasive and controversial over the years. The anonymous nature of the forum has led to discussions that are often characterized as insensitive, offensive, and non-collegial.
In particular, EJMR has faced heavy criticism and controversy for allowing sexist, racist, and discriminatory content to proliferate on the site. The anonymous accounts have made it easy for trolling and harassment to occur.
Many academics argue that EJMR has played a detrimental role by normalizing discrimination and creating a toxic environment, especially for underrepresented groups. They say the site reflects poorly on the economics profession as a whole. However, others defend EJMR as an outlet for open expression and transparency, showcasing the true inner workings of academia.
Overall, EJMR’s reputation for abrasiveness and controversial content has made it a polarizing force within the economics community. The prevalence of unprofessional personal attacks and stereotyping on the site continues to raise concerns. Debates persist on whether the forum is a productive part of academic discourse or an out-of-control breeding ground for harassment.
Impact on Academia
EJMR has had a significant impact on the world of academic finance. The site’s forums and discussions play an influential role in academia for those pursuing finance careers. Many academics and Ph.D. students turn to EJMR for insights on research, recruiting, and the job market.
EJMR has become an important place for sharing research and gaining feedback from peers. Academics often post working papers, unpublished manuscripts, and preprints to solicit comments from the EJMR community. The feedback can help improve papers and provide new research ideas. Some studies suggest papers discussed on EJMR receive more citations.
The site also shapes recruiting and the job market. Academic job listings are posted to EJMR forums, and the community discusses job candidates, interviews, offers, and negotiations. Departments and universities are reviewed and ranked as well. Some academics feel pressure to participate on EJMR to boost their profile during the job search.
However, EJMR’s influence has raised concerns. Critics argue the forums amplify biases, harassment, and unfair critiques that hurt diversity. There are also questions around the validity of anonymous feedback. Still, EJMR remains highly trafficked, demonstrating its far-reaching role in academic finance.
Message Boards and Discussion
The Economics Job Market Rumors (EJMR) website hosts active online message boards and forums where users can anonymously discuss and debate various topics related to economics academia. Some of the most popular forums include:
Admissions Forum
This forum focuses on admissions to top PhD programs, with discussions on strategies for getting accepted and comparisons between programs. Users share details on their applications and admissions results. There can be intense debates on factors that lead to admissions success.
Job Market Forum
A very active forum for discussions around the economics job market. Topics include job market paper strategies, interview experiences, flyout offers, negotiations, and final job placements. The forum provides a glimpse into the competitive job market process.
Journals Forum
Users discuss and rank academic journals in economics. There are debates around journal quality, impact factors, turnaround times, and paper acceptance rates. The forum provides insights into journal hierarchies and publishing strategies.
Rankings Forum
This forum centers around rankings of economics departments and programs. Users discuss criteria for rankings, compare programs, and argue over which rankings are most reputable. There is considerable discussion around what makes a top program.
General Economics Forum
For more general discussions about research, policy debates, economists in the news, and state of the field. The tone is often critical, with skepticism around popular trends and influential economists.
Tenure Track Forum
Focuses on topics relevant to tenure-track faculty, including research output expectations, grant applications, teaching obligations, and tenure processes at different institutions. Gives a glimpse into the life of a tenure-track professor.
Notorious Threads
While EJMR forums provide valuable insights into academia, some threads have become notorious for inappropriate or offensive comments. There have been cases of unprofessional personal attacks and discrimination that detract from constructive discussions. Such threads go against the ideals of open academic debate.
Admissions
The EJMR admissions message board contains discussions about the PhD admissions process in finance, economics, and related fields. Users share their experiences and opinions about applying to and being admitted by various programs.
There is often commentary evaluating the competitiveness and prestige of different schools and programs. For example, users may discuss how difficult it is to get admitted to top programs like Chicago Booth or MIT Sloan compared to lower-ranked options. The admissions odds at schools outside the top 10-20 may also be scrutinized.
Many threads focus on admissions results from a particular year. Applicants share their backgrounds, test scores, and application materials and report on their success or failure to gain admission. Other users then chime in with their analysis of an applicant’s profile and speculate on reasons they were or weren’t accepted. There is often discussion of how admissions standards and trends have changed over time.
There are also more general discussions about application strategy, such as how many schools to apply to and how to decide where to attend. Some applicants seek advice on how to improve their chances in future application rounds. There is a lot of discussion around issues like the importance of test scores, research experience, fit with faculty interests, and other factors in the admissions process.
Overall, the admissions board features a very active discussion around the competitiveness and intricacies of gaining admission to PhD programs in various finance and economics fields. Participants share information and opinions from their own experiences going through the process.
Job Market
The EJMR job market board provides a wealth of insights into finance hiring and recruitment. Users share details on application processes, interview experiences, salary discussions, and negotiation tactics for various financial institutions and roles.
Some key themes that emerge from the job market discussions on EJMR include:
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The importance of networking and utilizing connections for Ejmr Finance roles. Having an “in” or referral at a firm can make a big difference in getting an interview and job offer.
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The intense competition for top finance jobs at elite firms like investment banks, hedge funds, and private equity firms. Candidates need to prepare thoroughly for technical and behavioral interview questions.
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Salary negotiation tactics such as leveraging multiple offers and emphasizing competing bidders. Firms expect candidates to negotiate.
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The advantages of having PhD or quantitative backgrounds for certain research and trading roles. Math, statistics, and programming abilities are highly desirable.
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Insider perspectives on work culture and advancement opportunities at various firms. Candidates try to get a sense of work-life balance, travel requirements, and promotion timelines.
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How factors like school prestige and internship experiences influence hiring decisions, especially for entry-level roles. Elite credentials tend to be favored.
The authentic insights from current and former industry professionals on EJMR provide an information edge to job seekers. The site reveals specific hiring practices and compensation packages that aren’t published elsewhere. However, readers should keep in mind that the perspectives shared are anonymous and subjective.
Rankings
EJMR has become known for its member-generated rankings of various aspects of academic finance, including schools, journals, and faculty members. These rankings are often controversial, as they reflect the subjective opinions of EJMR members rather than objective metrics.
The school rankings on EJMR are particularly influential. Members vote on and debate where schools should be ranked based on the quality of research and graduates. Higher-ranked schools are believed to place graduates in better academic jobs. As a result, administrators pay close attention to where their school lands in the EJMR rankings. Drops in the rankings can harm a school’s reputation and ability to attract top students and faculty.
The journal ranking system on EJMR also draws attention, as it ranks finance and economics journals. Journals rated more highly are perceived to have greater influence and prestige. Academics aim to publish in the most highly ranked journals, as it can advance their careers. However, some argue the rankings reflect ideological biases, favoring certain journals and methodologies.
Lastly, EJMR members discuss and rank individual faculty members. Positive ratings can boost a professor’s standing and lead to job offers and promotions. Negative ratings can stall careers. Critics point out the rankings often reflect personal grudges and biases rather than fair assessments of research productivity. There are also concerns that women and minority faculty members are disproportionately targeted.
In summary, the rankings generated on EJMR have an outsized impact and are controversial for their subjectivity as well as potential biases. The rankings exemplify how the message boards have become an influential yet divisive force in the academic finance world.
Journals
Finance research is published in a variety of academic journals that range widely in terms of impact factor and prestige. The top journals, sometimes referred to as the “top 3”, are generally considered to be the Journal of Finance, the Journal of Financial Economics, and the Review of Financial Studies.
The Journal of Finance, published by the American Finance Association, is one of the oldest and most established journals in the field. It is highly selective with an acceptance rate estimated around 5-10%. Publising in the Journal of Finance is considered a signficant achievement in an academic finance career.
The Journal of Financial Economics has a broader finance focus than the Journal of Finance and also publishes influential work across financial economics. While a top journal, it is generally perceived as slightly less prestigious than the Journal of Finance in terms of selectivity and impact.
The Review of Financial Studies, affiliated with the Society for Financial Studies, has rapidly risen to become one of the top publications in financial economics research. Over the last couple of decades, its impact and visibility have grown considerably.
Impact factor is one metric used to assess journal quality, though it has limitations. The top journals have impact factors between 4-6. However, lower ranked journals may still publish interesting and influential research, so impact factor alone does not determine prestige. Overall, publications in the top journals carry the most weight in the academic finance job market.
Academic Finance Research
The EJMR forums feature active discussions around recent academic finance papers and research methods. Users regularly post and debate papers from top journals like the Journal of Finance, Review of Financial Studies, and Journal of Financial Economics.
There is often vigorous back-and-forth on the merits, limitations, and implications of new research. Commenters dissect the methodologies employed and offer critiques on everything from research design to assumptions, statistical techniques, and interpretation of results.
Users share opinions on which papers will have a major impact and highlight flaws or alternative explanations that authors may have overlooked. There is a strong focus on assessing the rigor of research and identifying questionable practices like p-hacking.
Discussions emphasize replicability and understanding how sensitive findings are to different model specifications.
There is also a meta-commentary on trends in research topics, methods, and reporting practices. Commenters debate merits of different econometric techniques and point out the overuse of certain approaches. They discuss biases in the review process and the challenges of publishing negative results.
The forums showcase the leading edge of academic finance discussions and provide an interactive way to engage deeply with new research that goes beyond just reading the papers. Through critiques and debates, EJMR aims to advance scholarship and identify promising areas for future work.
Conclusion
EJMR has had a significant impact on the world of academic finance, though not without controversy. Its anonymous message boards have enabled both productive discussions and harmful rumors, reflecting the dual nature of anonymity online.
On the positive side, EJMR has allowed junior scholars to obtain advice from experienced professors and gain insider knowledge about journals, rankings, and the job market. This level of openness is rare in the traditional world of academia. However, anonymity has also enabled harassment, discrimination, and the spreading of misinformation without accountability.
Going forward, EJMR will likely continue to play an important role in finance academia, though its future direction depends on how it handles its community. Productive discussions should be encouraged, while mechanisms to prevent harassment may need to be implemented. Overall, EJMR reflects broader debates about the ethics and governance of online communities. Academic finance will continue to be impacted by virtual spaces like EJMR, for better or worse.