Research Guides
Practical, code-forward guides written by StatLab staff. Each guide walks through a method end-to-end with worked examples.
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Generalized Mixed-Effects Models
- Linear & generalized models
- Mixed & longitudinal models
This research guide provides a comprehensive introduction to the generalization of mixed-effects models beyond the linear case. We begin with a...
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Instrumental Variables
- Causal inference
This guide covers the intuition, mechanics, and implementation of instrumental variables (IV) designs. We discuss applications in both...
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Logit and Probit Models for Binary Outcomes
- Linear & generalized models
- Inference & model building
This guide introduces binary limited dependent variable models for applied researchers. It compares the linear probability model, logit, and...
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Linear Mixed-Effects Models: A Practical Guide
- Mixed & longitudinal models
This research guide provides a comprehensive introduction to linear mixed-effects models. We begin with a discussion of the intuition behind mixed...
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Ordinary Least Squares Regression
- Linear & generalized models
- Inference & model building
Ordinary least squares regression (OLS) is one of the most commonly used statistical methods across scientific disciplines. Yet, despite its...
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Panel/Longitudinal Data and its Associated Regression Practices
- Mixed & longitudinal models
This research guide provides a comprehensive introduction to the modeling of panel data with regression approaches. We begin with a discussion of...
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Regression Discontinuity Design
- Causal inference
This guide introduces Regression Discontinuity Design (RDD) for causal inference when treatment is assigned by a threshold rule. Using a running...
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Choosing the Right Standard Errors
- Inference & model building
Standard errors are the foundation of statistical inference, yet choosing the wrong one undermines every confidence interval and hypothesis test...
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Survival Analysis
- Time-to-event models
This guide introduces survival analysis (the statistical study of time-to-event outcomes) for researchers across disciplines, from medicine and...
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Synthetic Control Methods
- Mixed & longitudinal models
- Causal inference
Synthetic control methods estimate what would have happened to a treated unit without treatment by constructing a weighted comparison from...
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Test Statistics
- Inference & model building
This guide explains what a test statistic is, where it comes from, and how to read one. We frame test statistics within hypothesis testing, show...
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Selecting the Right Variables
- Causal inference
- Inference & model building
This guide introduces a principled approach to covariate selection in regression models, with a focus on causal interpretation. We emphasize that...
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