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Key questions in evaluating a research report

Key questions in evaluating a research report: In brief, there are five key questions you, as a consumer of analytical work, should ask yourself as you are evaluating a research report.

1. What is the purpose of the analysis? Does the model chosen make theoretical and intuitive sense? Are all of the relevant variables in the model?

2. Does the model use empirically or experimentally generated data? Is the data appropriate for the purpose of the analysis? Is there potential for data problems to affect the overall outcome of the study?

3. Is the model properly specified? Does the functional form represent theory? Does the author indicate what other functional forms were considered and rejected?

4. What assumptions are used to derive the model? Is the model tested for its sensitivity to these assumptions?

5. Is the model both statistically and functionally significant?

   Related Questions in Microeconomics

  • Q : Farm employment Over the past several

    Over the past several decades, farm employment has: A) grown absolutely, but declined as a percentage of total employment. B) declined both absolutely and as a percentage of total employment. C) increased both absolutely and as a percentage of total employment. D) dec

  • Q : Negative-positive coefficient in

    When you compute cross-elasticity of demand, what are you trying to find out?  What do a negative coefficient and a positive coefficient imply?

  • Q : Determine water elasticity of production

    When 200,000 gallons of water are applied per acre, 4 tons are harvested by each acre of linguini trees yearly, but cutting back to 160,000 gallons causes the crop per acre to reduce to 2 tons yearly. Then water elasticity of linguini production is as

  • Q : Total revenue minus total cost An

    An unregulated monopoly which does not price discriminate maximizes profit at the output level which maximizes: (w) P minus marginal costs [MC]. (x) total revenue minus total cost. (y) marginal revenue [MR] minus marginal costs [MC]. (z) price minus a

  • Q : Changes in price and supply of market

    Assume that a main oil spill occurred off the Alaskan coast within the waters where many wild salmon Americans eat is caught. So, what will occur to the price and supply of salmon within the US? (w) no change  (x) supply = fall, price = rise 

  • Q : Determine short-run supply of an

    The Christmas tree industry’s short-run supply is demonstrated as: (1) curve A. (2) curve B. (3) curve E. (4) curve F. (5) curve G.

    Q : Supply curves toward right from

    Technological progress shift: (i) Demand curves up and to right. (ii) Production possibilities curve in the direction of their origins. (iii) Prices into inflationary spiral. (iv) Supply curves rightward from vertical axis. Can som

  • Q : Constant cost industry in competitive

    When brick-making is a constant cost industry, during the long run this firm is probable to experience: (i) a severe shrinking of economic profit to zero. (ii) a decline in the price of bricks to approximately eight cents apiece. (iii) increased compe

  • Q : Maximizing utility from consumption of

    Given that a MU of French fries of 35 utils and a MU for serving of potato chips at 25 utils, when their respective prices are $1.50 and $.80, the person who wants to maximize utility from the consumption of both of such goods would consume: (i) The similar amount of

  • Q : Marginal revenue and average revenue

    A firm along with market power faces a downward sloping demand curve since: (w) selling more of the good needs a price cut. (x) marginal revenue should equal average revenue. (y) only pure monopolies face horizontal demand curves. (z)