aspi6246 Structured Paper Review
When reviewing an academic paper, produce a structured summary covering every section below. Be specific and precise — name the actual variables, datasets, and methods used. Do not be vague.
1. One-sentence summary
A single sentence capturing the paper's core claim and finding. Format: "[Authors] show that [X causes/predicts Y] using [method] on [data]."
2. Research question
What specific question does the paper answer? State it as a question.
3. Why it matters
What is the economic or policy significance? Why should a reader care? Who are the stakeholders affected? Connect it to broader debates in the literature if possible.
4. Identification strategy
This is the most important section. Be precise:
- What is the empirical method? (DiD, IV, RDD, event study, structural, etc.)
- What is the source of exogenous variation?
- What is the treatment and what is the control?
- What fixed effects are used and why?
- How are standard errors clustered?
- For IV: what is the instrument and what is the exclusion restriction argument?
- For DiD: what is the parallel trends argument?
5. Data
- What datasets are used? (Name them: Compustat, CRSP, Census, etc.)
- What is the unit of observation?
- What is the sample period?
- What is the sample size?
- Any notable sample selection or filters?
6. Key findings
The 2-3 main results. Report actual magnitudes where possible (coefficients, percentage effects), not just "positive and significant."
7. Robustness and threats
- What robustness checks do the authors run?
- What are the main threats to identification?
- Are there concerns the authors don't address?
8. Key references to follow up
List 2-3 cited papers that seem important for understanding the contribution or that are worth reading independently.