Theory, Operationalization, Identification, and the Interpretation of Different Differences in Time Series Models

The principals in this exchange, David Cantor, David Greenberg, and Kenneth Land, have each contributed outstanding methodological and substantive scholarship to criminology and to the social sciences more generally. In exchanges such as this we are engaged in a collective process of refining and advancing our knowledge in the areas of both criminology and statistical methods. The issues raised by Greenberg provide an opportunity to reflect on time series modeling and to revisit some issues concerning operationalization and model specification. I do not expect any of us to agree fully on these issues, but we may be able to shed some light on these issues, and collectively this may help the larger community of criminologists and social scientists.