\title{Pre-Analysis Plan: \\ \text{Title of the study}\thanks{Acknowledgements and disclaimers.}} \author{Author's name\thanks{Author's affiliation and e-mail.}} \date{Date of latest draft} \documentclass[12pt]{article} \usepackage{geometry,etoolbox,breakcites,natbib,cite,color,hyperref,enumerate,amsmath,dsfont,lscape,tocloft,booktabs,draftwatermark} \usepackage[singlespacing]{setspace} \usepackage[bottom]{footmisc} \makeatletter \patchcmd{\@citex}{,}{;}{}{} \makeatother \SetWatermarkText{}\SetWatermarkLightness{0.85} \SetWatermarkScale{4} \begin{document} \sloppy \maketitle \renewcommand{\cftsecleader}{\cftdotfill{\cftdotsep}} \tableofcontents \clearpage \section{Introduction} \subsection{Abstract} \begin{itemize} \item In 1-2 sentences, what does the study entail? \item In 1-2 sentences, why is this study important/relevant? \end{itemize} \subsection{Motivation} \begin{itemize} \item What is the main problem/question motivating the study? \item How has this problem/question been addressed thus far? \item How is this study different from prior research on this problem/question? \item Why is the context that you have chosen for this study appropriate? \end{itemize} \subsection{Research Questions} \begin{itemize} \item What are the main research questions the study seeks to answer? \end{itemize} \section{Research Strategy} \subsection{Sampling} \subsubsection{Sampling Frame} \begin{itemize} \item What is the eligible population for the study? \begin{itemize} \item What are the main characteristics of this population? \end{itemize} \item What is the expected sample for the study? \begin{itemize} \item What is the expected sample size? \item How does the expected sample differ from the population? \end{itemize} \end{itemize} \subsubsection{Statistical Power} \begin{itemize} \item What is the effect size you will be able to detect? \begin{itemize} \item What are your assumptions about your alpha-level? \item What are your assumptions about your statistical power? \item What are your assumptions about variability in your effect size? \item How many sites will you have? \item How many people will you have in each site? \item What share of the variance do you expect to predict with your covariates? \end{itemize} \item How sensitive is your effect size to changes in your parameters? \end{itemize} \subsubsection{Assignment to Treatment} \begin{itemize} \item How will individuals be assigned to treatment and control conditions? \item What is the source of exogenous variation in your study? \end{itemize} \subsubsection{Attrition from the Sample} \begin{itemize} \item Do you anticipate any form of attrition from the sample? \begin{itemize} \item If so, what share of the sample do you anticipate will attrit? \item On what evidence are you basing your expectations about attrition? \item How realistic are your expectations about attrition? \end{itemize} \item What can you do anything to prevent/remedy sample attrition? \item How does expected attrition change your power calculations? \end{itemize} \subsection{Fieldwork} \subsubsection{Instruments} \begin{itemize} \item What data collections instruments will you employ? \begin{itemize} \item What (groups of) indicators will each instrument cover? \item How was each instrument developed? \item Have each instrument been used before? \item If so, by whom? If not, are you piloting it? \item What are the main advantages/disadvantages of each instrument? \end{itemize} \end{itemize} \subsubsection{Data Collection} \begin{itemize} \item How long will the entire data collection process take from start to finish? \item What does the data collection entail? \item What steps will be take to keep the data collected confidential at this stage? \end{itemize} \subsubsection{Data Processing} \begin{itemize} \item How long will data processing take from start to finish? \item What does the data processing entail? \item What steps will be take to keep the processed data confidential? \item Who has ownership over the processed data? \item How will the data be used/stored after the study at this stage? \end{itemize} \section{Empirical Analysis} \subsection{Variables} \begin{itemize} \item What are the main variables of interest in your study? \begin{itemize} \item How is each of them defined in your dataset? \end{itemize} \end{itemize} \subsection{Balancing Checks} \begin{itemize} \item How will you check balance between treatment and control groups? \begin{itemize} \item What is the specification that you will run? \item What variables will you include in these balancing checks? \end{itemize} \item How will you check balance between attritors and non-attritors? \begin{itemize} \item What is the specification that you will run? \item What variables will you include in these balancing checks? \end{itemize} \end{itemize} \subsection{Treatment Effects} \subsubsection{Intent to Treat} \begin{itemize} \item How will you estimate the (causal) effect of the offer of the treatment? \begin{itemize} \item What is the specification that you will run? \item What controls will you include in your specification? \end{itemize} \end{itemize} \subsubsection{Treatment on the Treated} \begin{itemize} \item How will you estimate the (causal) effect of the receipt of the treatment? \begin{itemize} \item What is the specification that you will run? \item What controls will you include in your specification? \end{itemize} \end{itemize} \subsection{Heterogeneous Effects} \begin{itemize} \item Which groups do you anticipate will display heterogeneous effects? \item What is the broad theory of action that leads you to anticipate these effects? \end{itemize} \subsubsection{Intent to Treat} \begin{itemize} \item How will you estimate the heterogeneous effects of the offer of the treatment? \begin{itemize} \item What are the specifications that you will run? \item What controls will you include in your specification? \end{itemize} \end{itemize} \subsubsection{Treatment on the Treated} \begin{itemize} \item How will you estimate the heterogeneous effects of the receipt of the treatment? \begin{itemize} \item What are the specifications that you will run? \item What controls will you include in your specification? \end{itemize} \end{itemize} \subsection{Standard Error Adjustments} \begin{itemize} \item How will you account for clustering in your data? \item How will you address false positives from multiple hypothesis testing? \begin{itemize} \item If you plan to adjust your standard errors, what adjustment procedure will you use? (e.g., Family Wise Error Rate, False Discovery Rates, etc.) \item If you plan to aggregate multiple variables into an index, which variables will you aggregate and how? \item How will you deal with outcomes with limited variation? \end{itemize} \end{itemize} \section{Research Team} \begin{itemize} \item Who are the principal investigators of this study? \begin{itemize} \item What will each of these investigators do? \end{itemize} \item Will there be any research assistants in this study? \begin{itemize} \item If so, what will these research assistants do? \end{itemize} \end{itemize} \section{Deliverables} \begin{itemize} \item What are the main products that will result from this study? \item Who will be the lead author(s) for each of these deliverables? \end{itemize} \section{Calendar} \begin{itemize} \item How long will the entire study take from start to finish? \item What are the different tasks/steps to be completed each week/month? \end{itemize} \section{Budget} \begin{itemize} \item What will each part of this study cost? \item What sources of funding do you anticipate? \end{itemize} \singlespacing \bibliographystyle{chicago} \bibliography{/users/alejandroganimian/dropbox/work/projects/cimientos_study/bibliography/bibliography_cimientos} \end{document}