Assignments

Below are basic descriptions of each category of assignments for this semester. More details are available on the individual pages for each assignment.

Research Proposals and Plan

You’ll submit three proposals thoughout the semester. Each proposal should consist of four parts, explained in more detail here, and is worth 10 points toward your final grade. The written proposal should be 2 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font, and 1-inch margins.

Think of the research proposal as a more informed version of brainstorming. This should be something for which you’ve given some serious thought but where you haven’t yet started any analysis. You at least have some idea of the data you’d like to use, where to find it, and how to use it (i.e., you have some identification strategy and estimation method in mind). The purpose of the proposal is to develop an idea sufficiently far before receiving feedback.

Your final research plan consists of five parts is an extension of one research proposal where you consider the value-added of your work relative to the existing literature. Essentially, the research plan is your research proposal plus a literature review/contribution. You should take your best research proposal, based on feedback from me (and possibly your peers and classmates), and develop a slightly longer three-page report (double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins).

The research plan is worth 10 points toward your final grade (2 points per section of the report). It is due via Canvas by April 21. You will also need to develop a short 15 minute presentation for your research plan. We’ll spend the final two class days discussing your research plans and how best to turn them into papers!

Paper Presentations

You will present four published papers throughout the course of the semester. The list of potential papers for any given day is on the class schedule, with additional details here. Please note your selected papers and class dates on the presentations tab of our shared Google Sheet (link availabel on Canvas) no later than January 16. Each presentation is worth 5 points toward your final grade.

In addition to these 4 graded presentations, I expect everyone to present and discuss recent job market papers toward the end of the semester (Module 6). While ungraded, these JMP presentations will help everyone better understand the quality and rigor of recent top job market papers in our field. I will provide a list of candidate papers later in the semester.

Empirical Exercises

There are four prepared empirical exercises. Three of the excercises focus on central causal inference strategies (difference-in-differences, instrumental variables, or regression discontinuity), and the fourth exercise considers the analysis of competition in healthcare, including demand estimation. You must select one exercise to complete throughout the semester no later than January 29, and note your selection on the exercises tab of our shared Google Sheet. No more than two students per exercise.

Each exercise requires a good amount of your time outside of class to get the data in working order and implement the relevant identification strategy and econometric estimator. Raw data for each exercise will be provided on our class OneDrive folder, the link to which is on Canvas, or via the paper’s online replication package. For more details on each exercise and on the requirements for submission, see here. Your final submission is due on the last day of class, April 23.

“Excellence” Blueprint

The objective of this assignment is to move beyond critiquing flaws and instead develop an appreciation for very high quality academic writing and research execution. You will analyze a recently published, high-impact health economics paper, dissecting not only its substantive contribution and rigor but also the writing, narrative, and presentation that secured its placement in a top-tier journal. Your final blueprint is due on March 17, and details of this assignment are available here.