Theory testing (hypothesis testing) in agricultural economics

According to Karl Popper, economics and agricultural economics should be deemed scientific if the theories (hypotheses) are subject to strict tests. The testing of agro-economic theories goes back 50 years in the USA, Canada, Europe, and Japan, and these methods are becoming increasingly part of educational research methodology. In fact, the author of this paper teaches this very subject at Debrecen University, and for this reason has endeavoured to provide an overview on current trends in this field. The present overview first discusses the role of testing in the research process (cognition), and then analyses the various classification methods (types) of testing. It deals in detail with the application of the (microeconomic) production-theory in agriculture and discusses the potential and limits for measuring scientific progress in this field. Finally it draws conclusions regarding future trends.