The DOI matches its Crossref record; 42 of the 42 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The Phantom Menace: Omitted Variable Bias in Econometric Research
Abstract
Quantitative political science is awash in control variables. The justification for these bloated specifications is usually the fear of omitted variable bias. A key underlying assumption is that the danger posed by omitted variable bias can be ameliorated by the inclusion of relevant control variables. Unfortunately, as this article demonstrates, there is nothing in the mathematics of regression analysis that supports this conclusion. The inclusion of additional control variables may increase or decrease the bias, and we cannot know for sure which is the case in any particular situation. A brief discussion of alternative strategies for achieving experimental control follows the main result.
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“Yet, determining which combination(s) of variables to blind is non-trivial and the risk of omitted variable bias should not be downplayed [71,160].”
From Fairness in machine learning: A survey (2024) · cites this paper as [71]
In the citing paper
“Yet, determining which combination(s) of variables to blind is non-trivial and the risk of omitted variable bias should not be downplayed [71,160].”
From Fairness in machine learning: A survey (2024) · cites this paper as [71]
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Sorted by citations
A Survey on Bias and Fairness in Machine Learning
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“Omitted variable bias4 occurs when one or more important variables are left out of the model [38, 114, 131].”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Clarke, K. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Rochester (US)
- Corresponding author
- Clarke, Kevin A.
- ORCID
- Clarke, Kevin A.
- Venue
- Conflict Management and Peace Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2005-09
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 341-352
- ISSN
- 0738-8942 (ISSN-L)
- 1549-9219
- OpenAlex
- W2146807455
- Cited by
- 484
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 33 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 58 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 32 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 32
- FWCI
- 11.74
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Conflict Management and Peace Science (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Advanced Causal Inference Techniques
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Political Science Research and Education
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Spatial and Panel Data Analysis
- Keywords
- omitted variable bias, control variables, regression analysis, specification bias, experimental control, econometric methodology, political science research
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