Standard Economics Template (SET) and Reference File Download Link
https://eu2.contabostorage.com/00f3241116844f24b628f46d81abb929:st1/folder7/7315/1656290101_standard_economics_template_2021_v10_-_Standar_Format.xlsx
2026-05-31 00:28:04 - Admin
<style> body {font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6; margin:0; padding:0; background:#f9f9f9; color:#333;} .container {max-width: 960px; margin:0 auto; padding:20px;} h1, h2, h3 {color:#2c3e50;} a {color:#2980b9; text-decoration:none;} a:hover {text-decoration:underline;} ul {margin-left:20px;} pre {background:#eee; padding:10px; overflow:auto;} </style><div class="container"> <h1>Standard Economics Template (SET)</h1> <p>The Standard Economics Template (SET) is a structured, opensource framework designed to make economic analysis, modelling, and reporting more consistent, transparent, and reproducible. By providing a set of predefined sections, datahandling conventions, and formatting guidelines, SET helps researchers, policy makers, and educators build documents that can be easily shared, reviewed, and updated.</p> <h2>Why SET Exists</h2> <p>Economic work often suffers from two recurring problems:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Lack of standardisation:</strong> Different authors use different layouts, variable names, and citation styles, making it hard to compare results.</li> <li><strong>Reproducibility gaps:</strong> Essential assumptions, data sources, and code snippets are frequently hidden in footnotes or appendices, which hampers verification.</li> </ul> <p>SET addresses these issues by prescribing a clear hierarchy of sections, a consistent naming convention for tables and figures, and a recommended workflow for linking quantitative models (e.g., R, Python, Stata) to the written narrative.</p> <h2>Core Components of SET</h2> <h3>1. Document Structure</h3> <p>SET divides an economic report into the following major blocks:</p> <ol> <li><strong>Executive Summary</strong> A concise overview (max 300 words) of objectives, methodology, key findings, and policy implications.</li> <li><strong>Introduction</strong> Context, research question, and relevance to the literature.</li> <li><strong>Methodology</strong> Detailed description of data sources, model specifications, estimation techniques, and any sensitivity analysis.</li> <li><strong>Results</strong> Presentation of primary outcomes, robustness checks, and subsample analyses.</li> <li><strong>Discussion</strong> Interpretation of results, comparison with prior studies, and policy relevance.</li> <li><strong>Conclusion & Recommendations</strong> Summarisation of findings, limitations, and suggested next steps.</li> <li><strong>References</strong> Full citation list following a chosen style (APA, Chicago, etc.).</li> <li><strong>Appendices</strong> Technical details, full data tables, code listings, and supplementary figures.</li> </ol> <h3>2. Naming Conventions</h3> <p>All tables, figures, and equations receive a standardized identifier that integrates the section number, e.g., <code>Table 3.2</code> for the second table in Section 3 (Methodology). Variables in datasets follow snake_case (e.g., <code>gdp_per_capita</code>) and are documented in a data dictionary placed in the appendix.</p> <h3>3. Data & Code Integration</h3> <p>SET encourages the use of <a href="https://www.rmarkdown.com" target="_blank">R Markdown</a>, <a href="https://jupyter.org" target="_blank">Jupyter Notebooks</a>, or similar literateprogramming tools. This ensures the narrative, code, and output (tables, charts) are generated from a single source file, guaranteeing that any change to the data automatically updates the report.</p> <h3>4. Visualisation Standards</h3> <ul> <li>Colorblindfriendly palettes (e.g., Tableau 10, ColorBrewer).</li> <li>All axes labelled with units; titles are concise.</li> <li>Figures are placed close to the text that references them; each figure has a caption that explains the key takeaway.</li> </ul> <h2>Benefits of Using SET</h2> <ul> <li><strong>Improved comparability:</strong> Researchers can lineup results across studies without reinterpreting different formats.</li> <li><strong>Transparency:</strong> Code and data are embedded or linked directly, making peer review faster.</li> <li><strong>Efficiency:</strong> Reusing the template reduces time spent on formatting and allows authors to focus on analysis.</li> <li><strong>Educational value:</strong> Students learn best practices early, building habits that carry into professional work.</li> </ul> <h2>Implementation Steps</h2> <ol> <li><strong>Download the template:</strong> A ZIP file containing a starter <code>.Rmd</code> (or <code>.ipynb</code>) file, a CSS stylesheet, and a datadictionary skeleton.</li> <li><strong>Populate the sections:</strong> Replace placeholder text with your own content while preserving the heading hierarchy.</li> <li><strong>Insert code chunks:</strong> Load your datasets, run estimations, and let the output render automatically into tables/figures.</li> <li><strong>Validate naming:</strong> Ensure every table/figure follows the <code>Section.Subsection</code> pattern.</li> <li><strong>Run a reproducibility check:</strong> Delete the generated PDF/HTML output, then reknit the document. If the final product matches the previous version, your workflow is reproducible.</li> <li><strong>Publish:</strong> Export to HTML, PDF, or Word and share via a repository (GitHub, OSF) that also hosts the raw code.</li> </ol> <h2>Case Study: Applying SET to a LabourMarket Impact Assessment</h2> <p>Consider a study estimating the effect of a minimumwage increase on employment using a differenceindifferences design.</p> <h3>Executive Summary (excerpt)</h3> <pre>Objective: Measure employment change in the retail sector after a $2 raise in the state minimum wage (20222024). Method: Differenceindifferences with countylevel fixed effects; robustness checks include propensityscore weighting. Key Finding: A $1 increase reduces fulltime employment by 0.7% (p<0.05). Policy Implication: Targeted wage subsidies could offset the observed labor loss. </pre> <h3>Methodology Highlights</h3> <ul> <li>Data: Quarterly administrative payroll records (20202024); variable <code>employees_fulltime</code>.</li> <li>Model: <code>lm(employees_fulltime ~ post*treated + county + quarter)</code>.</li> <li>Robustness: Added controls for local unemployment rate and industry mix.</li> </ul> <h3>Result Table (autogenerated)</h3> <pre>Table 3.1: DifferenceinDifferences Estimates| Variable | Coefficient | Std. Err. | tstat | pvalue ||-------------------|------------:|----------:|-------:|--------:|| PostTreated | -0.0070 | 0.0032 | -2.19 | 0.028 || Post (control) | 0.0015 | 0.0011 | 1.36 | 0.174 || Treated (pre) | -0.0008 | 0.0010 | -0.80 | 0.424 || Constant | 0.8623 | 0.0058 |149.35 | 0.000 | </pre> <h2>Adapting SET for Different Fields</h2> <p>While originally conceived for macroeconomic and policy analysis, SET can be customised for:</p> <ul> <li>Environmental economics adding a dedicated Carbon Accounting subsection.</li> <li>Health economics integrating costeffectiveness tables with standard ICER formats.</li> <li>Development economics including a Data Availability annex that follows the World Bank metadata guidelines.</li> </ul> <h2>Resources & Community</h2> <p>SET is maintained by a collaborative network of economists and datascientists. Useful links:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://github.com/SET-framework" target="_blank">SET GitHub repository</a> source code, issue tracker, and contribution guide.</li> <li><a href="https://set-docs.org" target="_blank">Official documentation</a> detailed style manual, FAQs, and video tutorials.</li> <li><a href="https://forum.set-economics.com" target="_blank">Community forum</a> discuss best practices, share templates, and request help.</li> </ul> <h2>Conclusion</h2> <p>The Standard Economics Template offers a practical, opensource solution for enhancing the clarity, reproducibility, and impact of economic research. By adopting a shared structure, consistent naming, and integrated codereport workflows, analysts can focus on substantive insights rather than formatting hurdles. Whether you are a graduate student drafting a thesis, a thinktank producing policy briefs, or a central bank publishing quarterly analyses, SET provides a robust foundation that aligns with modern scientific standards.</p></div>