Methods in Global Finance
This is an interesting moment for the critical study of global finance. As the intellectual challenges posed by the 2007–2009 financial crisis have lost their integrative force, scholars have expanded research agendas to include a broader range of topics such as financial subordination, financial hegemony, central banking, digital finance, sustainable finance, and more.
As research topics have multiplied, so have methodological repertoires. Today’s global finance scholarship uses a wide array of methods—including experimental design, network analysis, expert interviews, and archival work—and utilizes an increasing variety of public and private data sources. Despite this growth, the methodological pluralism of global finance studies has remained underexplored.
To address this gap, together with Johannes Petry and Ruben Kremers, we have launched the Global Finance Methods Research Network. Our goal is to build a collaborative community where researchers can explore, discuss, and critically reflect on the various data sources and methodological tools used in global finance research.
From January 2025 to December 2026, we will organize a series of events, including methodological trainings, a conference, and a book workshop. These activities will contribute to advancing dialogue on the growing diversity of methodologies and data sources in global finance research.
The network’s work is funded by the Rhine-Main-Universities (RMU) Alliance.
Below is the final program of our 2025 conference, which offers a comprehensive overview of the activities and topics we covered. The conference was also supported by the Goethe Research Academy for Early Career Researchers (GRADE) and the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET)