Description of the course This is a course in research design. A research design is the qualitative story that is going to give you a causal interpretation of the results of your quantitative analysis. We focus on policy evaluation. We assume that you have an understanding of the basic econometrics; successful completion of an introductory course in econometrics is required. During the course, we discuss four commonly used research designs: randomized trial, regression discontinuity, difference-in-difference, instrumental variable. Next, we discuss time-varying treatment effects and treatment heterogeneity. The course should help you to conduct meaningful and creative empirical work by yourself, by learning to recognize research designs in the day to day world. In addition, this course should help you to assess the quality of empirical work from others. For the exercises, we will work with STATA; you are advised to install a copy on your laptop (note: go for STATA/IC; don't go for the SmallStata option, that version cannot handle much). Recommended Prerequisites Introductory course in econometrics and familiarity with the linear regression model, based on a textbook like the 'baby Wooldridge'. |
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Type of instructions Interactive lectures and computer labs (6 weeks in total)Type of exams Final exam, weekly quizzes, weekly paper reviews, two weekly computer assignments.
Compulsory Reading- Joshua Angrist and Jörn-Steffen Pischke, Mastering Metrics. The path from cause to effect, Princeton University Press, 2015. (available from last year's students)
Recommended Reading- Jeffrey M. Wooldridge, Introductory Econometrics. A Modern Approach, South-Western. CENGAGE Learning, 2013.
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