Download or read book Simple and Bias corrected Matching Estimators for Average Treatment Effects written by Alberto Abadie and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Matching estimators for average treatment effects are widely used in evaluation research despite the fact that their large sample properties have not been established in many cases. In this article, we develop a new framework to analyze the properties of matching estimators and establish a number of new results. First, we show that matching estimators include a conditional bias term which may not vanish at a rate faster than root-N when more than one continuous variable is used for matching. As a result, matching estimators may not be root-N-consistent. Second, we show that even after removing the conditional bias, matching estimators with a fixed number of matches do not reach the semiparametric efficiency bound for average treatment effects, although the efficiency loss may be small. Third, we propose a bias-correction that removes the conditional bias asymptotically, making matching estimators root-N-consistent. Fourth, we provide a new estimator for the conditional variance that does not require consistent nonparametric estimation of unknown functions. We apply the bias-corrected matching estimators to the study of the effects of a labor market program previously analyzed by Lalonde (1986). We also carry out a small simulation study based on Lalonde's example where a simple implementation of the biascorrected matching estimator performs well compared to both simple matching estimators and to regression estimators in terms of bias and root-mean-squared-error. Software for implementing the proposed estimators in STATA and Matlab is available from the authors on the web.

Download or read book Developing a Protocol for Observational Comparative Effectiveness Research A User s Guide written by Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (U.S.) and published by Government Printing Office. This book was released on 2013-02-21 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This User’s Guide is a resource for investigators and stakeholders who develop and review observational comparative effectiveness research protocols. It explains how to (1) identify key considerations and best practices for research design; (2) build a protocol based on these standards and best practices; and (3) judge the adequacy and completeness of a protocol. Eleven chapters cover all aspects of research design, including: developing study objectives, defining and refining study questions, addressing the heterogeneity of treatment effect, characterizing exposure, selecting a comparator, defining and measuring outcomes, and identifying optimal data sources. Checklists of guidance and key considerations for protocols are provided at the end of each chapter. The User’s Guide was created by researchers affiliated with AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program, particularly those who participated in AHRQ’s DEcIDE (Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions About Effectiveness) program. Chapters were subject to multiple internal and external independent reviews. More more information, please consult the Agency website: www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov)

Download or read book Propensity Score Analysis written by Shenyang Guo and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2015 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides readers with a systematic review of the origins, history, and statistical foundations of Propensity Score Analysis (PSA) and illustrates how it can be used for solving evaluation and causal-inference problems.

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of Quantitative Methods Volume 1 written by Todd D. Little and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2014 with total page 536 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Oxford Handbook of Quantitative Methods in Psychology provides an accessible and comprehensive review of the current state-of-the-science and a one-stop source for best practices in a quantitative methods across the social, behavioral, and educational sciences.

Download or read book Micro econometrics for Policy Program and Treatment Effects written by Myoung-jae Lee and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2005 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In many disciplines of science it is vital to know the effect of a 'treatment' on a response variable of interest; the effect being known as the 'treatment effect'. Here, the treatment can be a drug, an education program or an economic policy, and the response variable can be an illness,academic achievement or GDP. Once the effect is found, it is possible to intervene to adjust the treatment and attain a desired level of the response variable.A basic way to measure the treatment effect is to compare two groups, one of which received the treatment and the other did not. If the two groups are homogenous in all aspects other than their treatment status, then the difference between their response outcomes is the desired treatment effect. Butif they differ in some aspects in addition to the treatment status, the difference in the response outcomes may be due to the combined influence of more than one factor. In non-experimental data where the treatment is not randomly assigned but self-selected, the subjects tend to differ in observedor unobserved characteristics. It is therefore imperative that the comparison be carried out with subjects similar in their characteristics. This book explains how this problem can be overcome so the attributable effect of the treatment can be found.This book brings to the fore recent advances in econometrics for treatment effects. The purpose of this book is to put together various economic treatments effect models in a coherent fashion, make it clear which can be parameters of interest, and show how they can be identified and estimated underweak assumptions. The emphasis throughout the book is on semi- and non-parametric estimation methods, but traditional parametric approaches are also discussed. This book is ideally suited to researchers and graduate students with a basic knowledge of econometrics.

Download or read book Making War and Building Peace written by Michael W. Doyle and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2011-04-22 with total page 421 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Making War and Building Peace examines how well United Nations peacekeeping missions work after civil war. Statistically analyzing all civil wars since 1945, the book compares peace processes that had UN involvement to those that didn't. Michael Doyle and Nicholas Sambanis argue that each mission must be designed to fit the conflict, with the right authority and adequate resources. UN missions can be effective by supporting new actors committed to the peace, building governing institutions, and monitoring and policing implementation of peace settlements. But the UN is not good at intervening in ongoing wars. If the conflict is controlled by spoilers or if the parties are not ready to make peace, the UN cannot play an effective enforcement role. It can, however, offer its technical expertise in multidimensional peacekeeping operations that follow enforcement missions undertaken by states or regional organizations such as NATO. Finding that UN missions are most effective in the first few years after the end of war, and that economic development is the best way to decrease the risk of new fighting in the long run, the authors also argue that the UN's role in launching development projects after civil war should be expanded.

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of Quantitative Methods Volume 1 Foundations written by Todd D. Little and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2013-01-15 with total page 507 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Research today demands the application of sophisticated and powerful research tools. Fulfilling this need, The Oxford Handbook of Quantitative Methods is the complete tool box to deliver the most valid and generalizable answers to todays complex research questions. It is a one-stop source for learning and reviewing current best-practices in quantitative methods as practiced in the social, behavioral, and educational sciences. Comprising two volumes, this handbook covers a wealth of topics related to quantitative research methods. It begins with essential philosophical and ethical issues related to science and quantitative research. It then addresses core measurement topics before delving into the design of studies. Principal issues related to modern estimation and mathematical modeling are also detailed. Topics in the handbook then segway into the realm of statistical inference and modeling with chapters dedicated to classical approaches as well as modern latent variable approaches. Numerous chapters associated with longitudinal data and more specialized techniques round out this broad selection of topics. Comprehensive, authoritative, and user-friendly, this two-volume set will be an indispensable resource for serious researchers across the social, behavioral, and educational sciences.

Download or read book Impact Evaluation of Infrastructure Interventions written by Henrik Hansen and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-09-13 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The focus on results in development agencies has led to increased focus on impact evaluation to demonstrate the effectiveness of development programmes. This book illustrates the broad range of methods available for counterfactual analysis of infrastructure programmes such as establishment, rehabilitation and maintenance of roads, water supply and electrical power plants and grids. Understanding the impact of interventions requires understanding of the context in which the intervention takes place and the channels through which it is expected to occur. For infrastructure interventions it is particularly important to identify the links between the input and the outcomes and impacts because the well-being of people, the ultimate impact, does not change directly as a consequence of the intervention. Therefore impact evaluation of infrastructure programmes typically requires mixing both quantitative and qualitative approaches as illustrated in many of the contribution to this edited volume. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Development Effectiveness.

Download or read book Practical Propensity Score Methods Using R written by Walter Leite and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2016-10-28 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Practical Propensity Score Methods Using R by Walter Leite is a practical book that uses a step-by-step analysis of realistic examples to help students understand the theory and code for implementing propensity score analysis with the R statistical language. With a comparison of both well-established and cutting-edge propensity score methods, the text highlights where solid guidelines exist to support best practices and where there is scarcity of research. Readers will find that this scaffolded approach to R and the book’s free online resources help them apply the text’s concepts to the analysis of their own data.

Download or read book Statistics and Causality written by Wolfgang Wiedermann and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2016-06-07 with total page 478 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: b”STATISTICS AND CAUSALITYA one-of-a-kind guide to identifying and dealing with modern statistical developments in causality Written by a group of well-known experts, Statistics and Causality: Methods for Applied Empirical Research focuses on the most up-to-date developments in statistical methods in respect to causality. Illustrating the properties of statistical methods to theories of causality, the book features a summary of the latest developments in methods for statistical analysis of causality hypotheses. The book is divided into five accessible and independent parts. The first part introduces the foundations of causal structures and discusses issues associated with standard mechanistic and difference-making theories of causality. The second part features novel generalizations of methods designed to make statements concerning the direction of effects. The third part illustrates advances in Granger-causality testing and related issues. The fourth part focuses on counterfactual approaches and propensity score analysis. Finally, the fifth part presents designs for causal inference with an overview of the research designs commonly used in epidemiology. Statistics and Causality: Methods for Applied Empirical Research also includes: New statistical methodologies and approaches to causal analysis in the context of the continuing development of philosophical theories End-of-chapter bibliographies that provide references for further discussions and additional research topics Discussions on the use and applicability of software when appropriate Statistics and Causality: Methods for Applied Empirical Research is an ideal reference for practicing statisticians, applied mathematicians, psychologists, sociologists, logicians, medical professionals, epidemiologists, and educators who want to learn more about new methodologies in causal analysis. The book is also an excellent textbook for graduate-level courses in causality and qualitative logic.

Download or read book Handbook of Probability written by Tamás Rudas and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2008-02-21 with total page 489 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This is a valuable reference guide for readers interested in gaining a basic understanding of probability theory or its applications in problem solving in the other disciplines." —CHOICE Providing cutting-edge perspectives and real-world insights into the greater utility of probability and its applications, the Handbook of Probability offers an equal balance of theory and direct applications in a non-technical, yet comprehensive, format. Editor Tamás Rudas and the internationally-known contributors present the material in a manner so that researchers of various backgrounds can use the reference either as a primer for understanding basic probability theory or as a more advanced research tool for specific projects requiring a deeper understanding. The wide-ranging applications of probability presented make it useful for scholars who need to make interdisciplinary connections in their work. Key Features Contains contributions from the international who's-who of probability across several disciplines Offers an equal balance of theory and applications Explains the most important concepts of probability theory in a non-technical yet comprehensive way Provides in-depth examples of recent applications in the social and behavioral sciences as well as education, business, and law Intended Audience This Handbook makes an ideal library purchase. In addition, this volume should also be of interest to individual scholars in the social and behavioral sciences.

Download or read book Living Standards Analytics written by Dominique Haughton and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-09-18 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this book is to introduce, discuss, illustrate, and evaluate the colorful palette of analytical techniques that can be applied to the analysis of household survey data, with an emphasis on the innovations of the past decade or so. Most of the chapters begin by introducing a methodological or policy problem, to motivate the subsequent discussion of relevant methods. They then summarize the relevant techniques, and draw on examples – many of them from the authors’ own work – and aim to convey a sense of the potential, but also the strengths and weaknesses, of those techniques. This book is meant for graduate students in statistics, economics, policy analysis, and social sciences, especially, but certainly not exclusively, those interested in the challenges of economic development in the Third World. Additionally, the book will be useful to academics and practitioners who work closely with survey data. This is a book that can serve as a reference work, to be taken down from the shelf and perused from time to time.

Download or read book Causal Analysis in Population Studies written by Henriette Engelhardt and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-05-05 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The central aim of many studies in population research and demography is to explain cause-effect relationships among variables or events. For decades, population scientists have concentrated their efforts on estimating the ‘causes of effects’ by applying standard cross-sectional and dynamic regression techniques, with regression coefficients routinely being understood as estimates of causal effects. The standard approach to infer the ‘effects of causes’ in natural sciences and in psychology is to conduct randomized experiments. In population studies, experimental designs are generally infeasible. In population studies, most research is based on non-experimental designs (observational or survey designs) and rarely on quasi experiments or natural experiments. Using non-experimental designs to infer causal relationships—i.e. relationships that can ultimately inform policies or interventions—is a complex undertaking. Specifically, treatment effects can be inferred from non-experimental data with a counterfactual approach. In this counterfactual perspective, causal effects are defined as the difference between the potential outcome irrespective of whether or not an individual had received a certain treatment (or experienced a certain cause). The counterfactual approach to estimate effects of causes from quasi-experimental data or from observational studies was first proposed by Rubin in 1974 and further developed by James Heckman and others. This book presents both theoretical contributions and empirical applications of the counterfactual approach to causal inference.

Download or read book Handbook of Empirical Corporate Finance SET written by Bjørn Espen Eckbo and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2008-12-23 with total page 1137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This two-volume set summarizes recent research on corporate decision-making. The first volume covers measurement and theoretical subjects as well as sources of capital, including banks, public offerings, and private investors. In the second volume, contributors focus on the ways corporations are structured and the practices through which they can be bought and sold. Thus, its major subjects include dividends, capital structure, financial distress, takeovers, restructurings, and managerial incentives. - Takes stock of the main empirical findings to date across an unprecedented spectrum of corporate finance issues - Discusses everything from econometric methodology, to raising capital and capital structure choice, and to managerial incentives and corporate investment behavior - Contributors are leading empirical researchers that remain active in their respective areas of expertise - Writing style makes the chapters accessible to industry practitioners

Download or read book Contested Violated but Persistent written by Charlotte Heyl and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-12-26 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presidential term limits have been a crucial institutional feature of the third wave of democratization. They are meant to safeguard democracy by promoting alternation in office and preventing the personalization of power. However, since the 1990s term limits have been subject to frequent contestation by incumbents. Such contestation process has often been considered a sign of autocratization, particularly when it involves the weakening of other constitutional constraints, such as courts and legislatures. Term-limit contestations have attracted the attention of scholars working with a global perspective as well as with a regional or country-specific one too. Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa are focal points of these trends, despite their different histories of presidentialism and diverging types of term-limit rules. This book generates new empirical and theoretical insights by bringing together the scholarship on Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, providing context-bound intraregional research as well as long-term perspectives for the study of term-limit change. The chapters advance novel findings on institutionalization, the power of precedence, incumbent-centred strategies, and approaches to protect presidential term limits. This volume will be of great use to students and researchers interested in Latin American and African studies, comparative politics as well as political leadership. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Democratization.

Download or read book Takeover Activity Valuation Estimates and Merger Gains written by Bjørn Espen Eckbo and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2010-06-02 with total page 863 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A selection of republished corporate finance articles and book chapters that can serve as an advanced corporate finance supplementary text for courses that use no textbooks. Combining convenience and an affordable price with retypeset pages and a high-quality index, the 600 pages of volume one, Takeover Activity, Valuation Estimates and Merger Gains, focus on classical issues such as the existence and source of merger waves, empirical estimates of takeover announcement returns and the division of takeover gains between bidders and targets, and tests for potential sources of takeover gains (primarily involving estimation of industry wealth effects of takeovers), introducing students to modern scientific evidence about corporate takeovers. Including an index and new introduction, this volume will simplify and facilitate students' interaction with new concepts and applications. - Provides a status report about modern scientific evidence on corporate takeovers - Exposes students to new methods and empirical evidence while reading high quality primary material - Offers a concise and cost-efficient package of journal and book articles for advanced corporate finance students

Download or read book Matched Sampling for Causal Effects written by Donald B. Rubin and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2006-09-04 with total page 5 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Matched sampling is often used to help assess the causal effect of some exposure or intervention, typically when randomized experiments are not available or cannot be conducted. This book presents a selection of Donald B. Rubin's research articles on matched sampling, from the early 1970s, when the author was one of the major researchers involved in establishing the field, to recent contributions to this now extremely active area. The articles include fundamental theoretical studies that have become classics, important extensions, and real applications that range from breast cancer treatments to tobacco litigation to studies of criminal tendencies. They are organized into seven parts, each with an introduction by the author that provides historical and personal context and discusses the relevance of the work today. A concluding essay offers advice to investigators designing observational studies. The book provides an accessible introduction to the study of matched sampling and will be an indispensable reference for students and researchers.