RMF2012 Abstracts

Session: Thursday 5th July (14.15 - 15.30)

Title: KEY LECTURE: Choosing and combining units: common problems in multilevel and cross-temporal research

Name: Laura Stoker

Affiliation: University of California, Berkeley


Abstract Details

Decisions about units of observation, of analysis, and of measurement are central to research design. This talk addresses cases in which thorny, consequential, unit decisions arise. These include: (1) Evaluation of propositions that relate a macro-level X to a macro-level Y, where the causal process that links the two works via a micro-level Y; (2) The selection of temporal units of analysis; (3) Temporal cut-points, which include some regression discontinuity designs, some difference-in-difference analyses, and some time-series analyses. In each case, I elaborate the issues involved and offer advice for unit selection.


Presentation downloads

Presenter: Laura Stoker

Choosing and Combining Units: Common Problems in Multilevel and Cross-Temporal Research


The level of the session is: Accessible

Presentation details

Presenter 1

Start time: 14:15

Presentation title: Choosing and combining units: common problems in multilevel and cross-temporal research

Author: Professor Laura Stoker

Affiliation: University of California at Berkeley