Writing Style (aeja-writing-style)
When to trigger
- Identification and robustness are settled and the paper needs its final exposition pass
- The introduction buries the question and the estimate under setup or literature
- The abstract does not state the headline number with its uncertainty
- The prose reads like a field-internal note rather than broad applied micro
The AEJ: Applied introduction arc
AEJ: Applied prose is plain, direct, and design-forward. The introduction should follow the applied-micro arc: question → why credible identification is hard → the design that solves it → headline causal estimate with a standard error → mechanism → policy/economic lesson → brief roadmap. A non-specialist applied economist should grasp the question and the answer in the first paragraph; the design should be legible by the end of the second.
| Section |
What it must do at AEJ: Applied |
| Abstract |
question + design + headline estimate (with units & SE) + lesson, in ≤ the AEA word norm |
| Intro ¶1 |
the economic question and the headline number, with uncertainty, no throat-clearing |
| Intro ¶2–3 |
why naive estimates fail + the source of variation that fixes it |
| Intro mid |
the estimate, the mechanism, and the magnitude's economic meaning |
| Intro end |
contribution (honest delta), scope of the claim, brief roadmap |
Writing craft
- Lead with the answer, not the setup. The first paragraph states what you find and roughly how big; the apparatus comes after.
- Numbers with units and SEs in sentences. "We find X raises Y by 6.2% (s.e. 0.7)" — the magnitude lives in the prose, not only the table.
- Name the design plainly. "We use a regression discontinuity at the eligibility cutoff" beats euphemism; AEJ: Applied readers want the identification stated.
- Calibrate the claim. State what the estimand is (local / ITT) and what it does not establish — over-claiming external validity is a frequent referee complaint.
- Plain English over jargon. Short sentences; active voice; define field-specific terms once. Broad applied-micro readership is the audience.
- Write the abstract and intro last, after the result is final.
Checklist
Anti-patterns
- An introduction that spends a page on institutional background before stating the question
- A "literature tour" intro with no contribution sentence up front (see
aeja-literature-positioning)
- Reporting "statistically significant" without the magnitude, units, or SE in the prose
- Over-claiming the local/ITT estimate as a general population effect
- Jargon-dense, passive-voice writing aimed only at sub-field specialists
- Polishing the intro before identification and robustness are settled
Worked vignette (illustrative)
A first-draft intro opens with a page of institutional background on a transit program, then a TWFE
specification, then "the effect is statistically significant." The AEJ: Applied rewrite leads with the
answer: "Does cheap transportation help teenagers find work? Using a staggered municipal rollout of free
bus passes, we find the program raised teen employment by 3.1 percentage points (s.e. 0.9)." The design is
named in the next sentence, the mechanism and the calibrated scope follow, and the institutional detail
moves to Section 2. The full before→after is in
../../resources/worked-examples/01-introduction.md.
Referee pushback mapped to the writing fix
- "I read three pages before learning what you find." → Move the headline number and design to ¶1; demote
background to the data section.
- "You report significance but not the magnitude." → Put the point estimate, its units, and its SE in the
sentence, not only the table.
- "You overclaim external validity." → State the estimand (local/ITT) and what it does not establish.
Output format
【Abstract】question + design + estimate(units,SE) + lesson within word norm? [Y/N]
【Intro ¶1】headline number + uncertainty up front? [Y/N]
【Identification legible by ¶3】[Y/N]
【Magnitudes in prose】units + SEs in sentences? [Y/N]
【Claim calibrated】estimand + scope stated, no overclaim? [Y/N]
【Next step】aeja-replication-package
Source: brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills → AEJ-Applied-Economics-Skills/skills/aeja-writing-style/SKILL.md
1---2name: aeja-writing-style3description: Use when revising the prose, abstract, and introduction of an American Economic Journal: Applied Economics (AEJ: Applied) manuscript so the design and headline estimate land in the first paragraph in AEA house style. Polishes exposition; it does not change the result (aeja-identification / aeja-robustness) or the exhibits.4---567# Writing Style (aeja-writing-style)89## When to trigger1011- Identification and robustness are settled and the paper needs its final exposition pass12- The introduction buries the question and the estimate under setup or literature13- The abstract does not state the headline number with its uncertainty14- The prose reads like a field-internal note rather than broad applied micro1516## The AEJ: Applied introduction arc1718AEJ: Applied prose is **plain, direct, and design-forward**. The introduction should follow the applied-micro arc: **question → why credible identification is hard → the design that solves it → headline causal estimate with a standard error → mechanism → policy/economic lesson → brief roadmap.** A non-specialist applied economist should grasp the question and the answer in the first paragraph; the design should be legible by the end of the second.1920| Section | What it must do at AEJ: Applied |21|---------|--------------------------------|22| Abstract | question + design + headline estimate (with units & SE) + lesson, in ≤ the AEA word norm |23| Intro ¶1 | the economic question and the headline number, with uncertainty, no throat-clearing |24| Intro ¶2–3 | why naive estimates fail + the source of variation that fixes it |25| Intro mid | the estimate, the mechanism, and the magnitude's economic meaning |26| Intro end | contribution (honest delta), scope of the claim, brief roadmap |2728## Writing craft29301. **Lead with the answer, not the setup.** The first paragraph states what you find and roughly how big; the apparatus comes after.312. **Numbers with units and SEs in sentences.** "We find X raises Y by 6.2% (s.e. 0.7)" — the magnitude lives in the prose, not only the table.323. **Name the design plainly.** "We use a regression discontinuity at the eligibility cutoff" beats euphemism; AEJ: Applied readers want the identification stated.334. **Calibrate the claim.** State what the estimand is (local / ITT) and what it does *not* establish — over-claiming external validity is a frequent referee complaint.345. **Plain English over jargon.** Short sentences; active voice; define field-specific terms once. Broad applied-micro readership is the audience.356. **Write the abstract and intro last**, after the result is final.3637## Checklist3839- [ ] Abstract states question + design + headline estimate (units & SE) + lesson, within the AEA word norm40- [ ] Intro ¶1 gives the economic question and the headline number with uncertainty — no throat-clearing41- [ ] The naive-estimate problem and the identifying variation appear by ¶2–342- [ ] Magnitudes written into sentences with units and standard errors43- [ ] Estimand and scope stated; external-validity claim calibrated, not inflated44- [ ] Plain English, active voice, jargon defined once; abstract/intro written last4546## Anti-patterns4748- An introduction that spends a page on institutional background before stating the question49- A "literature tour" intro with no contribution sentence up front (see `aeja-literature-positioning`)50- Reporting "statistically significant" without the magnitude, units, or SE in the prose51- Over-claiming the local/ITT estimate as a general population effect52- Jargon-dense, passive-voice writing aimed only at sub-field specialists53- Polishing the intro before identification and robustness are settled5455## Worked vignette (illustrative)5657A first-draft intro opens with a page of institutional background on a transit program, then a TWFE58specification, then "the effect is statistically significant." The AEJ: Applied rewrite leads with the59answer: "Does cheap transportation help teenagers find work? Using a staggered municipal rollout of free60bus passes, we find the program raised teen employment by 3.1 percentage points (s.e. 0.9)." The design is61named in the next sentence, the mechanism and the calibrated scope follow, and the institutional detail62moves to Section 2. The full before→after is in63[`../../resources/worked-examples/01-introduction.md`](../../resources/worked-examples/01-introduction.md).6465## Referee pushback mapped to the writing fix6667- *"I read three pages before learning what you find."* → Move the headline number and design to ¶1; demote68 background to the data section.69- *"You report significance but not the magnitude."* → Put the point estimate, its units, and its SE in the70 sentence, not only the table.71- *"You overclaim external validity."* → State the estimand (local/ITT) and what it does not establish.7273## Output format7475```76【Abstract】question + design + estimate(units,SE) + lesson within word norm? [Y/N]77【Intro ¶1】headline number + uncertainty up front? [Y/N]78【Identification legible by ¶3】[Y/N]79【Magnitudes in prose】units + SEs in sentences? [Y/N]80【Claim calibrated】estimand + scope stated, no overclaim? [Y/N]81【Next step】aeja-replication-package82```8384---8586**Source:** [`brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills`](https://github.com/brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills) → `AEJ-Applied-Economics-Skills/skills/aeja-writing-style/SKILL.md`
brycewang-stanford