Profile

Greg Taylor is an economist whose research focuses on the economics of online markets and of markets for technology goods more generally. His research spans the domains of industrial organisation, information economics, network economics, game theory, and auctions theory. Special topics of interest include the search engine and online advertising industries, platform markets, consumer search behaviour and price comparison services, the attention economy, and online intermediary bias.

Although primarily theoretical in nature, Dr Taylor’s research deals with some of the most pressing issues facing practitioners and policy makers—with a special focus on issues in industrial regulation and competition policy for technology industries. He has played important advisory roles for government and regulators in these areas.

Besides his research, Greg takes great pleasure in introducing economics to new audiences and teaches a course in Internet Economics for MSc students at the OII. Prior to joining the OII, Greg obtained a PhD in economics from the University of Southampton.

Areas of Interest for Doctoral Supervision

Economic theory, economic modelling, game theory, information economics, competition policy, regulation, markets.

Research interests

Economics, economics of the Internet and digitisation, microeconomic theory, industrial organisation, game theory, auction theory, competition policy, regulation.

Positions held at the OII

  • Director of Graduate Studies, July 2018 –
  • MSc Programme Director, October 2016 – July 2018
  • Senior Research Fellow, May 2017 –
  • Research Fellow, October 2009 – May 2017
  • MSc Interim Programme Director, Hilary Term 2016

Students supervised at the OII

Past students

Chapters

Conference papers

Journal articles

Reports

  • de Corniere, A. and Taylor, G. (2014) Quality Provision in the Presence of a Biased Intermediary.
  • Bulger, M., Taylor, G. and Schroeder, R. (2014) Data-driven business models: Challenges and opportunities of big data. Oxford: Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford.

Working papers

  • de Corniere, A. and Taylor, G. (2020) Data and Competition: A General Framework with Applications to Mergers, Market Structure, and Privacy Policy.
  • de Corniere, A. and Taylor, G. (2018) Upstream Bundling and Leverage of Market Power.

Teaching

  • Digital Social Research: Methods Core

    This course provides students with the opportunity to engage with the methodological, ethical and philosophical underpinnings of quantitative and qualitative social science research practices.

  • Internet Economics

    A general introduction to the economics of the Internet, and to economics as a tool for social research more generally, emphasising issues such as competition, asymmetric information, trust and privacy, auctions, and network economics.

Videos

  • Reflections on the tenth anniversary of the MSc Social Science of the Internet

    Recorded: 16 September 2019

    Duration: 04:51:00

    OII academics Professor Victoria Nash, Professor Ralph Schroeder and Professor Greg Taylor share their reflections on the origins of the MSc programme and its successes.

  • Internet Economics: OII MSc Option Course

    Recorded: 2 June 2015

    Duration: 00:05:51

    This option course for the OII MSc in "Social Science of the Internet" provides an introduction to the economics of the Internet and to economics as a tool for social research more generally.

  • Behind the White Curtain: Search Engine Economics

    Recorded: 28 February 2011

    Duration: 00:11:23

    Greg Taylor discusses the main themes of his lecture in the OII's "Society and the Internet" lecture series; how economics can be used as a powerful tool for understanding social and commercial interactions online.

News

  • Oxford University Teaching Awards for OII Faculty

    3 November 2011

    We are extremely pleased to announce that three members of the OII teaching faculty are to receive awards from the University of Oxford, in recognition of their excellent contributions to the department's teaching over the past year.

Events

Press

  • UK to create regulator to police big tech companies

    19 December 2019 Financial Times


    The UK government will create a technology regulator next year to police companies such as Facebook and Google after Brexit, according to several people who were involved in the process.

  • Online searches for future linked to economic success

    5 April 2012 New Scientist


    A study of 45 billion Google search enquiries by researchers at UCK reveals that the citizens of wealthy nations are more likely to seek information online about the future than those of poorer states. Greg Taylor comments.

Integrity Statement

My work has been financially supported by UK taxpayers, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the John Fell Fund, the NET Institute, Research Councils UK, the Digital Economics Research Network, and the Rockefeller Foundation. As part of my policy outreach, I have served in an unpaid advisory capacity to HM Government’s Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills and the Competition and Markets Authority. I have also undertaken paid consultancy work for the Competition and Markets Authority.