Causal inference with observational data
Open accessAbstract
Problems with inferring causal relationships from nonexperimental data are briefly reviewed, and four broad classes of methods designed to allow estimation of and inference about causal parameters are described: panel regression, matching or reweighting, instrumental variables, and regression discontinuity. Practical examples are offered, and discussion focuses on checking required assumptions to the extent possible.
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Many methods compute only the local average treatment effects for a selected (sub)population, limiting the generalizability of results to users with different characteristics than those included in a study.
“many methods compute only the local average treatment effects for a selected (sub)population (Nichols, 2007), limiting the generalizability of results to users with different characteristics than those included in a study.”
From Social Data: Biases, Methodological Pitfalls, and Ethical Boundaries (2019) · cites this paper as Nichols, 2007
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Social Data: Biases, Methodological Pitfalls, and Ethical Boundaries
Olteanu, A., Castillo, C., Diaz, F., & Kıcıman, E. (2019) · Frontiers in Big Data · doi:10.3389/fdata.2019.00013 · Cited by 763 · see citing works
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Social Data: Biases, Methodological Pitfalls, and Ethical Boundaries
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- Authors
- Nichols, A.
- Affiliations
- Urban Institute (US)
- Corresponding author
- Nichols, Austin
- ORCID
- Nichols, Austin
- Venue
- The Stata Journal: Promoting communications on statistics and Stata
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2007-12
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 507-541
- ISSN
- 1536-867X (ISSN-L)
- 1536-8734
- OpenAlex
- W2157803622
- Cited by
- 339
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 29 · 2015: 30 · 2014: 33 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 19
- FWCI
- 6.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- The Stata Journal Promoting communications on statistics and Stata (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Advanced Causal Inference Techniques
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Spatial and Panel Data Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Statistical Methods and Bayesian Inference
- Keywords
- causal inference, observational data, non-experimental data, causal parameters, panel data regression, matching, reweighting, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity design
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