scholarly journals Ulysses' Pact or Ulysses' Raft: Using Pre-Analysis Plans in Experimental and Non-Experimental Research

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Janzen ◽  
Jeffrey D Michler
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Experimental Research ◽  
Development Economics ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Economic Research ◽  
Experimental Economic ◽  
Data Mine

In recent years, pre-analysis plans have been adopted by economists in response to concerns raised about robustness and transparency in social science research. By pre-specifying an analysis plan, researchers bind themselves and thus avoid the temptation to data mine or $p$-hack. The application of pre-analysis plans has been most widely used for randomized evaluations, particularly in the field of development economics. The increased use of pre-analysis plans has raised competing concerns that detailed plans are overly restrictive and limit the type of inspiration that only comes from exploring the data. This paper considers these competing views of pre-analysis plans, examines the extent that pre-analysis plans have been used in research conducted by agricultural economists, and discusses the usefulness of pre-analysis plans for non-experimental economic research.

scholarly journals Environmental Economic Research Has an Audience But Not a Sponsor: Discussion

1994 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 120-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Jo Kealy
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Economic ◽  
Social Science ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Federal Agencies ◽  
Environmental Research ◽  
Economic Research ◽  
National Environmental

There exists no mechanism for federal agencies, national laboratories, industry, and academic institutions to set a national environmental research agenda. Moreover, funding for social science research is inadequate for providing a sound scientific basis for making environmental policy. Despite this lack of leadership, it is quite possible to define an environmental economic research agenda that could lead to improved policies for protecting and managing the environment. The present paper makes some recommendations from an insider's viewpoint.

scholarly journals Improving transparency in observational social science research: A pre-analysis plan approach

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Burlig
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Experimental Research ◽  
Prospective Studies ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Restricted Access ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Access Data

Social science research has undergone a credibility revolution, but these gains are at risk due to problematic research practices. Existing research on transparency has centered around randomized controlled trials, which constitute only a small fraction of research in economics. In this paper, I discuss three scenarios in which study preregistration can be credibly applied in non-experimental settings: cases where researchers collect their own data; prospective studies; and research using restricted-access data. Finally, I outline suggested contents for observational pre-analysis plans, and highlight where these plans should deviate from those designed for experimental research.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document