research-design.tex

[mariaruth]

Update research design chapter to frame as appendix

[mariaruth]

@bbdaniels, re: side notes, i'm not sure best thing to do with the below paragraph, i see two options:

1. move all the references to a wiki page on causal inference
2. change these to proper citations rather than just URLs (since they are books i assume that should work) Which would be more consistent with the changes you've been making to other chapters?

There are several resources that provide more or less mathematically intensive approaches to understanding how various methods do this. \textit{Impact Evaluation in Practice} is a strong general guide to these methods.\sidenote{ \url{https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/sief-trust-fund/publication/impact-evaluation-in-practice}} \textit{Causal Inference} and \textit{Causal Inference: The Mixtape} provides more detailed mathematical approaches to the tools.\sidenote{ \url{https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/miguel-hernan/causal-inference-book} \ \noindent \url{http://scunning.com/cunningham_mixtape.pdf}} \textit{Mostly Harmless Econometrics} and \textit{Mastering Metrics} are excellent resources on the statistical principles behind all econometric approaches.\sidenote{ \url{https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51992844\_Mostly\_Harmless\_Econometrics\_An\_Empiricist's\_Companion} \ \noindent \url{https://assets.press.princeton.edu/chapters/s10363.pdf}}

[mariaruth]

@bbdaniels I am assuming that we will leave all Development Impact blog links directly in text? for now i have, but wanted to confirm. a few examples below but there are many more in the appendix.

Loss of statistical power occurs quickly and is highly nonlinear: 70\% take-up or efficacy doubles the required sample, and 50\% quadruples it.\sidenote{ \url{https://blogs.worldbank.org/impactevaluations/power-calculations-101-dealing-with-incomplete-take-up}}

Only these details are needed to construct the appropriate estimator: clustering of the standard errors is required at the level at which the treatment is assigned to observations, and variables which were used to stratify the treatment must be included as controls (in the form of strata fixed effects).\sidenote{ \url{https://blogs.worldbank.org/impactevaluations/impactevaluations/how-randomize-using-many-baseline-variables-guest-post-thomas-barrios}}

However, controls for balance variables are usually unnecessary in RCTs, because it is certain that the true data-generating process has no correlation between the treatment and the balance factors.\sidenote{ \url{https://blogs.worldbank.org/impactevaluations/should-we-require-balance-t-tests-baseline-observables-randomized-experiments}}