The Effect
豆瓣
An Introduction to Research Design and Causality
Nick Huntington-Klein
简介
The Effect: An Introduction to Research Design and Causality is about research design, specifically concerning research that uses observational data to make a causal inference. It is separated into two halves, each with different approaches to that subject. The first half goes through the concepts of causality, with very little in the way of estimation. It introduces the concept of identification thoroughly and clearly and discusses it as a process of trying to isolate variation that has a causal interpretation. Subjects include heavy emphasis on data-generating processes and causal diagrams.
Concepts are demonstrated with a heavy emphasis on graphical intuition and the question of what we do to data. When we “add a control variable” what does that actually do?
Key Features:
• Extensive code examples in R, Stata, and Python
• Chapters on overlooked topics in econometrics classes: heterogeneous treatment effects, simulation and power analysis, new cutting-edge methods, and uncomfortable ignored assumptions
• An easy-to-read conversational tone
• Up-to-date coverage of methods with fast-moving literatures like difference-in-differences
contents
Chapter 1 Designing Research
Chapter 2 Research Questions
Chapter 3 Describing Variables
Chapter 4 Describing Relationships
Chapter 5 Identification
Chapter 6 Causal Diagrams
Chapter 7 Drawing Causal Diagrams
Chapter 8 Causal Paths and Closing Back Doors
Chapter 9 Finding Front Doors
Chapter 10 Treatment Effects
Chapter 11 Causality with Less Modeling
Chapter 12 Opening the Toolbox
Chapter 13 Regression
Chapter 14 Matching
Chapter 15 Simulation
Chapter 16 Fixed Effects
Chapter 17 Event Studies
Chapter 18 Difference-in-Differences
Chapter 19 Instrumental Variables
Chapter 20 Regression Discontinuity
Chapter 21 A Gallery of Rogues: Other Methods
Chapter 22 Under the Rug