The dueling analyses clarified the nature of the data, their limitations, and the difference that alternative methods of processing them made to the results. Ultimately, Reinhart and Rogoff were not that far apart from their critics on either what the evidence showed or what the policy implications were.
由此引来的轩然大波彻底掩盖了审视并改进经济研究的有益过程。莱因哈特和罗格夫很快承认了自己的Excel错误。竞争性分析澄清了数据性质、相关局限性和其他处理方式给结果造成的不同。最终在证据表象和政策内涵方面，莱因哈特和罗格夫的观点与批评者并没有多大差别。