In my research, I use data from a wide range of sources, including surveys, experiments, censuses, and tomb epitaphs. Besides using existing datasets, I am currently working on two data digitization/linking projects.
1. Social Stratification and Mobility in Tang China, 618-907 CE (with Erik H. Wang)
In this project, we constructed a dataset containing information from over 4,000 excavated tomb epitaphs of male elites in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). As epitaphs written in the period we study tend to be highly detailed descriptions of an individual's life with stylized prose and poems, the dataset contains granular information about the ancestral origins, family background, and complete career history of each deceased elite, which to some extent mirrors what would have been included in a contemporary social mobility survey.
epitaphs
2. Social Mobility in England, Wales, and Scotland, 1851-1911 (with Jung In and Richard Breen)
In this project, we aim to identify individuals across census waves and obtain their geographic and family background information in childhood. By using data from decennial full count censuses in England, Wales, and Scotland, we compare and evaluate three linking approaches: the deterministic approach, the probabilistic approach, and the machine learning approach. We plan to provide linked samples generated from the best performing method.
1. Social Stratification and Mobility in Tang China, 618-907 CE (with Erik H. Wang)
In this project, we constructed a dataset containing information from over 4,000 excavated tomb epitaphs of male elites in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). As epitaphs written in the period we study tend to be highly detailed descriptions of an individual's life with stylized prose and poems, the dataset contains granular information about the ancestral origins, family background, and complete career history of each deceased elite, which to some extent mirrors what would have been included in a contemporary social mobility survey.
epitaphs
2. Social Mobility in England, Wales, and Scotland, 1851-1911 (with Jung In and Richard Breen)
In this project, we aim to identify individuals across census waves and obtain their geographic and family background information in childhood. By using data from decennial full count censuses in England, Wales, and Scotland, we compare and evaluate three linking approaches: the deterministic approach, the probabilistic approach, and the machine learning approach. We plan to provide linked samples generated from the best performing method.