Shiri Noy

Research

My research examines how morality and authority are constructed, negotiated, and contested in contemporary societies. Across projects, I study how institutions, experts, and ordinary people make sense of meaning, legitimacy, and ethics. I use mixed methods and situate my work at both the global and local levels, drawing connections between policies, institutions, and everyday practices. For a complete list of my publications, please see my CV, you can also visit my Google Scholar page.

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Morality, Science, and Religion

I investigate how science and religion function as cultural authorities in public life, often in collaboration with sociologist Tim O'Brien and economist Linda Thunström. This work explores Americans’ views of scientists and clergy, clerical perspectives on science and religion, and how gestures like thoughts and prayers are understood and valued.

Selected Publications

• Noy, Shiri and Timothy L. O’Brien. 2024. “Science and the Pulpit: Clerical Perspectives on Science and Religion in the United States.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.

• O’Brien, Timothy L. and Shiri Noy. 2025. “Religion, Perceptions of Scientists’ Moral Culture, and Support for Science in the United States.” American Sociological Review.

• Thunström, Linda and Shiri Noy. 2022. “What we think prayers do: Americans’ expectations and valuation of intercessory prayer.” PLOS ONE.

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Globalization, Authority, and Health Policy

I analyze how international organizations and globalization influence health policy reform, with a focus on Latin America. My first book, Banking on Health, examines the role of the World Bank in shaping health sector reform and its implications for national authority over social policy.

Book

• Noy, Shiri. 2017. Banking on Health: The World Bank and Health Sector Reform in Latin America. Palgrave Macmillan.

Selected Articles

• Noy, Shiri. 2021. “Looking out, working in: How policymakers and experts conceptualize health system models in Argentina, Costa Rica, and Peru.” World Development.

• Noy, Shiri. 2021. “For the children? A mixed methods analysis of World Bank structural adjustment loans, health projects, and infant mortality in Latin America.” Globalization and Health.​

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Research Ethics, Methods, and Pedagogy

I study how the practice of research reflects moral commitments, methodological choices, and institutional authority. This includes work on research ethics with Nausica Marcos Miguel including how Institutional Review Boards communicate expectations to undergraduate researchers, how faculty and students navigate mentorship and training, and how research methods are best taught and learned.

I am also interested in research project management as a critical—yet often overlooked—dimension of research. My book, Project Management for Researchers: A Practical, Stress-Free Guide to Getting Organized (University of Michigan Press, 2024), offers strategies for designing project management systems that are reliable, legible, and aligned with researchers’ values. I regularly give workshops on project management and mixed methods for academic audiences in the U.S. and internationally.​

Book

• Noy, Shiri. 2024. Project Management for Researchers: A Practical, Stress-Free Guide to Getting Organized. University of Michigan Press

Selected Articles

• Marcos Miguel, Nausica and Shiri Noy. 2023. “Human Subjects Research Guidelines for Undergraduate Researchers: An Analysis of IRB Websites at Top Liberal Arts Colleges.” Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics.

• Noy, Shiri and Megan Hancock. 2021. “Teaching International Development Locally: Using Museum Collections to Ground Students’ Learning.” Teaching Sociology.

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Collaboration, Expertise, and the Environment

In collaboration with agro-ecologist Randa Jabbour, I examine how farmers balance expertise, experience, and community knowledge in managing crops and pests. This research highlights how authority is distributed and enacted in local agricultural contexts.

Selected Publications

• Noy, Shiri and Randa Jabbour. 2020. “Decision-Making in Local Context: Expertise, Experience, and the Importance of Neighbours in Farmers’ Insect Pest Management.” Sociologia Ruralis.

• Noy, Shiri and Randa Jabbour. 2017. “Using Egocentric Networks to Illustrate Information Seeking and Sharing by Alfalfa Farmers in Wyoming.” Journal of Extension.

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Full List of Publications

For a complete list of my publications, please see my CV.