STRUCTURE OF THE FINAL PAPER and DELIVERABLES
This is a guideline to build your paper. Thus, a solid structure will look like organized in the following sections. A good paper should generally include all parts as listed below for a full analysis. For each part, select the methods that will properly fit the context of your analysis and the nature of your data and provide arguments to support your choices. If you feel to go beyond the analyses we did in class, I will not discourage you to do so but make sure you know what you are doing!
Introduction: brief description of the foundations of your question(s). You can use some literature of any kind to explain why your questions are relevant. So, what are you planning to do? Why is it important? Make sure to have a good match between the question(s) you are asking and the data you have been able to collect.
Data:
Data sources: describe precisely where you got the data from and the overall dataset nature.
Variables (name, description, construction):
what is/are your dependent variable(s): Aim for a dependent variable that can be treated as continuous.
what is/are your independent variable(s): Aim for at least one independent variable that can be treated as continuous.
what is/are your control variable(s)
Descriptive statistics: output (statistics + graphs) and interpretation
Correlation analysis: output (statistics + graphs) and interpretation
One-sample/two-sample tests: output (statistics + graphs) and interpretation
Regression analysis: output (statistics + graphs) and interpretation, in particular
Model only with controls
Model only with independent variables
Model with independent variables and controls (full model)
Perform at least one model with an interaction term
Pick at least one diagnostic aspect and provide consideration about it.
Conclusions: what does your analysis suggest from a policy/management perspective (i.e. “economical” considerations).
Limitations: what are (strong) assumptions in your analysis; limitations due to data measurements, and how you would deal with it if you had better/other/more data.
Tables and figures: you can embed the main tables and figures and output in general in the text (preferred option) and use the Tables and Figures section to add those that are additional
Appendix: you can use this section to place more material of any kind, but the use of appendices should be limited.
References
YOU NEED TO ATTACH ALSO THE FOLLOWING FILES:
Dataset used (final, cleaned, ready to use) in a DTA format.
DO file with all your coding. The DO file has to be well crafted, with notes and references to the final paper. For example, each line of code that creates any output must have a reference to the page of the paper where the output is placed.
Final note: It is an individual assignment and papers are checked for any plagiarism. Also note there is a maximum number of 15 pages for a paper, all included.