Structural approaches to empirical analysis involve the explicit use of economic theory to inform measurement and identification with observational data. These approaches are widely used in many areas of economics. In this article, I discuss the relationship between the use of structural approaches in economics more recently and early motivations for quantitative economic history. These include matching theory and empirics to the economic environment, accounting for data quality in measurement, and conducting counterfactuals. I then use examples from a growing literature to illustrate how these approaches have been used to make progress on questions in economic history related to market power and competition, the role of institutions, and economic geography and transportation infrastructure. I conclude by briefly highlighting areas for future research.

实证分析的结构方法涉及经济理论的明确运用，以利用观测数据为度量和识别提供依据。这些方法被广泛用于经济学的许多领域。在本文中，我将讨论最近在经济学中使用结构方法与量化经济历史的早期动机之间的关系。其中包括将理论和经验与经济环境相匹配，在测量中考虑数据质量并进行反事实。然后，我将使用越来越多的文献中的例子来说明如何使用这些方法在与市场力量和竞争，机构作用以及经济地理和运输基础设施有关的经济历史问题上取得进展。