Writing Style for RED (red-writing-style)
When to trigger
- Drafting or tightening the abstract, introduction, and front matter for a RED submission
- Setting up references and keywords to RED specifications
- Formatting the manuscript for initial submission
RED conventions (verified; re-confirm on the official Guide for Authors)
- Abstract: concise and factual, not exceeding 250 words, and able to stand alone —
references inside the abstract are discouraged. Lead with the question, the model, and the headline
quantitative result.
- References: author-year (Harvard-style) citation system; reference list alphabetical and consistent.
- Keywords: 1 to 6 required.
- Formatting: Elsevier's general Guide for Authors applies; LaTeX accepted via the
elsarticle
class; initial submission is flexible ("your paper your way"), so you need not fully typeset to
Elsevier style for the first round.
- Generative AI: any use of generative-AI tools must be declared at submission.
- Length: this pack does not encode a RED-specific manuscript word/page cap. Use the current Guide and
Editorial Manager prompts for live file constraints; keep the paper as long as the contribution warrants
and no longer.
Abstract shape
Use this order:
Dynamic question -> model/mechanism -> discipline/evidence -> headline quantitative result -> implication.
Do not begin with data or policy motivation alone. RED readers need to see the dynamic mechanism before
they decide whether the paper belongs in the journal.
Style notes for dynamic papers
- Make the mechanism legible before the math — a reader should grasp the dynamic force from the intro.
- Define the model cleanly; relegate long derivations and proofs to an appendix.
- State magnitudes (the calibrated/estimated number that matters) early and precisely.
Introduction paragraph order
Use this sequence for RED introductions:
- Dynamic fact or puzzle.
- Mechanism and state variable that make the problem dynamic.
- Model discipline: data moments, calibration, estimation, or theoretical restriction.
- Headline quantitative result or theorem.
- Why the result changes how the SED/dynamic-economics audience thinks about the mechanism.
Avoid opening with institutional background that could fit a static paper. The first page should prove
that time, state dependence, expectations, accumulation, adjustment costs, search, or equilibrium dynamics
are essential to the contribution.
Notation conventions for dynamic-model prose
- Write recursive problems in standard Bellman form — V(a, z) = max over (c, a') of u(c) + βE[V(a', z')|z] —
defining every state, choice, and shock at first use, and keep symbols stable across the model section,
the calibration table, and the computational appendix.
- Time variables explicitly (beginning- vs end-of-period assets): timing mismatches between the equations
and the archived code are a referee-visible error class at a code-first journal.
- Keep the body for the model, the calibration logic, and the experiments; equilibrium-condition
derivations and algorithm detail go to appendices the body cites by number.
- Give experiment units in-line ("a one-standard-deviation TFP shock", "a transfer of 1% of GDP") rather
than relying on a figure caption to carry them.
Abstract rewrite example (illustrative)
WEAK: "We study inequality and monetary policy in a rich model with many
realistic features and find interesting effects."
RED-SHAPED: "How does household debt shape monetary transmission? In a
heterogeneous-agent New Keynesian model calibrated to U.S. wealth and MPC
distributions, a 25bp rate cut raises aggregate consumption by 0.4% — twice
the representative-agent benchmark — because constrained borrowers' interest
burdens fall." (numbers illustrative)
The rewrite names the model class, the discipline (wealth and MPC distributions), and the headline
magnitude in three sentences — the pattern a RED desk screen rewards.
Checklist
Anti-patterns
- A 250+-word abstract or one that cannot be read without the paper
- Mixed citation styles instead of clean author-year
- Asserting a manuscript length cap that the current RED Guide does not publish
Output format
[Style diagnosis] dynamic mechanism clear / static opening / too long / format risk
[Abstract fix] <250-word stand-alone target>
[Intro repair] <paragraph or sequence to rewrite>
[Front matter] keywords / references / AI declaration / LaTeX
[Next step] red-submission or red-tables-figures
Supplementary resources
1---2name: red-writing-style3description: Use when applying Review of Economic Dynamics (RED) house style — the stand-alone abstract not exceeding 250 words, author-year (Harvard-style) references, 1 to 6 keywords, LaTeX via Elsevier's elsarticle class under "your paper your way", and the generative-AI declaration. Drafting conventions for a quantitative dynamic paper; it does not invent results.4---56# Writing Style for RED (red-writing-style)78## When to trigger910- Drafting or tightening the abstract, introduction, and front matter for a RED submission11- Setting up references and keywords to RED specifications12- Formatting the manuscript for initial submission1314## RED conventions (verified; re-confirm on the official Guide for Authors)1516- **Abstract**: concise and factual, **not exceeding 250 words**, and **able to stand alone** —17 references inside the abstract are discouraged. Lead with the question, the model, and the headline18 quantitative result.19- **References**: **author-year (Harvard-style)** citation system; reference list alphabetical and consistent.20- **Keywords**: **1 to 6** required.21- **Formatting**: Elsevier's general Guide for Authors applies; **LaTeX accepted via the `elsarticle`22 class**; initial submission is flexible ("your paper your way"), so you need not fully typeset to23 Elsevier style for the first round.24- **Generative AI**: any use of generative-AI tools must be **declared at submission**.25- **Length**: this pack does not encode a RED-specific manuscript word/page cap. Use the current Guide and26 Editorial Manager prompts for live file constraints; keep the paper as long as the contribution warrants27 and no longer.2829## Abstract shape3031Use this order:3233```text34Dynamic question -> model/mechanism -> discipline/evidence -> headline quantitative result -> implication.35```3637Do not begin with data or policy motivation alone. RED readers need to see the dynamic mechanism before38they decide whether the paper belongs in the journal.3940## Style notes for dynamic papers4142- Make the **mechanism legible before the math** — a reader should grasp the dynamic force from the intro.43- Define the model cleanly; relegate long derivations and proofs to an appendix.44- State magnitudes (the calibrated/estimated number that matters) early and precisely.4546## Introduction paragraph order4748Use this sequence for RED introductions:49501. Dynamic fact or puzzle.512. Mechanism and state variable that make the problem dynamic.523. Model discipline: data moments, calibration, estimation, or theoretical restriction.534. Headline quantitative result or theorem.545. Why the result changes how the SED/dynamic-economics audience thinks about the mechanism.5556Avoid opening with institutional background that could fit a static paper. The first page should prove57that time, state dependence, expectations, accumulation, adjustment costs, search, or equilibrium dynamics58are essential to the contribution.5960## Notation conventions for dynamic-model prose6162- Write recursive problems in standard Bellman form — V(a, z) = max over (c, a') of u(c) + βE[V(a', z')|z] —63 defining every state, choice, and shock at first use, and keep symbols stable across the model section,64 the calibration table, and the computational appendix.65- Time variables explicitly (beginning- vs end-of-period assets): timing mismatches between the equations66 and the archived code are a referee-visible error class at a code-first journal.67- Keep the body for the model, the calibration logic, and the experiments; equilibrium-condition68 derivations and algorithm detail go to appendices the body cites by number.69- Give experiment units in-line ("a one-standard-deviation TFP shock", "a transfer of 1% of GDP") rather70 than relying on a figure caption to carry them.7172## Abstract rewrite example (illustrative)7374```text75WEAK: "We study inequality and monetary policy in a rich model with many76realistic features and find interesting effects."7778RED-SHAPED: "How does household debt shape monetary transmission? In a79heterogeneous-agent New Keynesian model calibrated to U.S. wealth and MPC80distributions, a 25bp rate cut raises aggregate consumption by 0.4% — twice81the representative-agent benchmark — because constrained borrowers' interest82burdens fall." (numbers illustrative)83```8485The rewrite names the model class, the discipline (wealth and MPC distributions), and the headline86magnitude in three sentences — the pattern a RED desk screen rewards.8788## Checklist8990- [ ] Abstract ≤250 words, stand-alone, no internal references, headline result stated91- [ ] References clean author-year; list alphabetical and consistent92- [ ] 1–6 keywords supplied93- [ ] AI-use declaration prepared; LaTeX builds under elsarticle9495## Anti-patterns9697- A 250+-word abstract or one that cannot be read without the paper98- Mixed citation styles instead of clean author-year99- Asserting a manuscript length cap that the current RED Guide does not publish100101## Output format102103```text104[Style diagnosis] dynamic mechanism clear / static opening / too long / format risk105[Abstract fix] <250-word stand-alone target>106[Intro repair] <paragraph or sequence to rewrite>107[Front matter] keywords / references / AI declaration / LaTeX108[Next step] red-submission or red-tables-figures109```110111## Supplementary resources112113- [`../../resources/official-source-map.md`](../../resources/official-source-map.md) — Guide-for-Authors facts and fee/source-precedence notes
brycewang-stanford