  Using a large dataset of research seminars held at US economics departments
in 2018, I explore the factors that determine who is invited to present at a
research seminar and whether the invitation is accepted. I find that
high-quality scholars have a higher probability of being invited than
low-quality scholars, and researchers are more likely to accept an invitation
if it is issued by a top economics department. The probability of being invited
increases with the size of the host department. Young and low-quality scholars
have a higher probability of accepting an invitation. The distance between the
host department and invited scholar reduces the probability of being invited
and accepting the invitation. Female scholars do not have a lower probability
of being invited to give a research seminar than men.
