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We agree with Entine’s (2003 [this issue]) assertion that the personal histories of the investigators matter to academic research in general, and especially to social science. Our backgrounds influence the type of research that attracts our time and attention, affect the theories we draw on and the data we use, and although we less like to admit this, inevitably shade our interpretations of the results. But we disagree with Entine’s assertion that this renders research on corporate social responsibility (CSP) and its relation to financial performance, or what is often referred to as socially responsible investing (SRI), a worthless and even harmful academic exercise.

Of course SRI research is imperfect. As with all social science research, the simplifications necessary in conducting SRI research make its mapping to a complex reality imperfect. As with all financial projections, the past is not a perfect indicator of future performance …