Welcome to the CAGE Winter School Resource page. Here you will find links and documents to help further your studies.

Please check back on this page regularly as we will be updating and adding to it both before and after the Winter School.

Documents

Please browse both these handbooks before arriving at the Winter School. It's just so you know what you're in for. We'll provide printed copies for you on the first day.

Handbook: Getting Started with Social and Economic Research by Mirko Draca (version 2.0)Link opens in a new window

Handbook: Code and Data for the Social Sciences: A Practitioner's Guide by Matthew Gentzkow & Jesse M. ShapiroLink opens in a new window

Tutorials on how to load software

We need you to at least attempt to install Python on your laptop before you arrive.

Arthur Turrell written guide to installing PythonLink opens in a new window

Arthur Turrell video guide to installing PythonLink opens in a new window

We also provide this guide by Peter Lambert for setting yourself up on Google CloudLink opens in a new window. You don't need to attempt to install this before arriving - it's pretty advanced stuff. We just provide it as a resource.

Lectures

Arthur Turrell - Coding for Economists: Part 1 and 2Link opens in a new window

Mirko Draca - How to Wrangle Any Repeated Cross-Section DatasetLink opens in a new window

Arthur Turrell - Coding Case Study 1 - empirical_project_1.ipynbLink opens in a new window

Peter John Lambert - Big Data and Cloud Computing for Economists - DOWNLOAD TO FOLLOW

Peter John Lambert - Using Large Language Models in Applied Research - DOWNLOAD TO FOLLOW

Arthur Turrell - Coding Case Study 2 - empirical_project_2.ipynb

Stata Do Files

These are the do-files related to Mirko Draca's lecture about putting together a large repeated cross-section dataset, namely the UK Labour Force Survey. No need to look at this before arriving at the Winter School.

rename_datasets.doLink opens in a new window

LFS2002-12_compile.doLink opens in a new window

lfs_test_loop_v1.doLink opens in a new window

plots.doLink opens in a new window

These are some examples of variable tabulation notes as discussed in the handbook: core variables, earnings variables, and weights.

The replication files for Blundell, Green and Jin (2022) are available at this Zenodo link.

Links to lectures by Mirko Draca

This is the series of Hey Bro Stata videos by Mirko DracaLink opens in a new window. It covers key commands in Stata and general principles for getting the most out of the programme. It is a good resource if you take up the challenge of wrangling a repeated cross-sectional dataset after you leave the Summer School.

Lectures from Summer School

Arthur Turrell - Coding for Economists Parts 1, 2, 3, 4Link opens in a new window

Mirko Draca - Wrangling Repeated Cross-Sectional DataLink opens in a new window

Eric Melander - Using Geographic Information SystemsLink opens in a new window

Peter John Lambert - Big Data and Cloud Computing for Economists + Using Large Language Models in ResearchLink opens in a new window

Marie Segger - Visualisation: Insights from Data Journalism Link opens in a new window(PDF versionLink opens in a new window)

Eric Melander - Transcribing Historical DocumentsLink opens in a new window

Eric Melander - Historical Newspapers as Data

Keeping Up with Research in Economics

These are some websites and newsletters that we recommend for interesting research and data related to economics. In many cases below you can sign up to email notifications.

NBER Working Paper Series. The leading working paper series in economics. As an explanation, 'working papers' are the first public drafts of papers that are circulated before they are formally peer-reviewed at journals.

Data is Plural. A weekly newsletter by an NYT / Buzzfeed data journalist that identifies interesting, publicly available datasets.

Marginal Revolution. Daily blog focused on both economics and general science / culture. Has a libertarian perspective but is followed widely, especially by many tech industry figures.

Noahpinion. In depth writing on up-to-the-second economic issues from the perspective of an ex-academic economist turned leading professional blogger (Noah Smith). Liberal / centrist perspective but again widely read.

Top of the Charts. Weekly bulletin from the Resolution Foundation, the leading non-academic evidence-based policy think tank in the UK.