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Project template

This repository contains a project template. I intend this repo as the common starting point for research projects. It can also be used to onboard new co-authors and research assistants. Download the repository and compile logbook/logbook.tex to get started.

The following is the first page of logbook.pdf converted to Markdown.

Research infrastructure

This chapter is intended to introduce everyone to technology or tools that are integral to our workflow. It describes our research infrastructure in terms of three types of issues:

  • Code: organize it, write it, run it, track it

  • Collaboration: assigning tasks, sharing code, reviewing code, reporting results

  • Computing: geeky details

We organize the project as a series of tasks, so our organization of code and data takes a task-based perspective. After writing code, we automate its execution via make. We track our code (and the rest of the project) using Git, a version control system. Collaboration occurs via issue/task assignments, pull requests, and logbook entries that share research designs and results.

Use a good text editor like SublimeText, Atom, or VSCode to write code, slides, and papers. Word processors aren't text editors. Your text editor should, at minimum, offer you syntax highlighting, tab autocomplete, and multiple selection. We recommend VSCode, which supports Git, remote development via SSH, and a GitHub extension.

Our approach assumes that you'll use Unix/Linux/MacOSX. Plain-text social science lives at the *nix command line. Gentzkow and Shapiro: "The command line is our means of implementing tools." Per Janssens (2014): "the command line is: agile, augmenting, scalable, extensible, and ubiquitous." Here are four intros to the Linux shell:

Getting started at the command line can be a little overwhelming, but it's well worth it. While you can use GUI apps to interact with most of our workflow (e.g., GitHub Desktop), automation of some key parts relies on shell scripts. See logbook entry A.9 for a haphazard collection of shell tips.

Beyond *nix, the rest of the research workflow is language-agnostic: it applies to everything from Stata to Julia. In fact, the task-based approach naturally facilitates using different languages for different tasks.

I have five criteria in mind when evaluating a research workflow:

  • Replicability: Can the research results be reproduced starting from the raw data?

  • Portability: If I install a fresh copy of the project on a new computer, what are the startup costs before I can run the code?

  • Modularity: Can a coauthor work on a task using the provided inputs without having to look upstream at the code that produced those inputs?

  • Dependencies: In the event of a data update, how do you know which pieces of code need to be run (and in what order)?

  • History: If results have changed, can I discern the relevant code changes and their authors?

After reading the rest of this chapter, you should be able to say how our workflow answers each of these questions.

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, 'i'); if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) { injectUserscript("// Add copy buttons to all
 blocks\n(function() {\n function addCopyButtons() {\n document.querySelectorAll('pre code').forEach(function(codeBlock) {\n if (codeBlock.parentElement.hasAttribute('data-copy-added')) return;\n codeBlock.parentElement.setAttribute('data-copy-added', 'true');\n \n var btn = document.createElement('button');\n btn.textContent = 'Copy';\n btn.style.cssText = 'position:absolute;top:4px;right:4px;padding:2px 8px;font-size:11px;background:#4ecdc4;border:none;border-radius:4px;color:#1a1a2e;cursor:pointer;opacity:0.7;transition:opacity 0.2s;';\n btn.onmouseover = function() { this.style.opacity = '1'; };\n btn.onmouseout = function() { this.style.opacity = '0.7'; };\n btn.onclick = function() {\n navigator.clipboard.writeText(codeBlock.textContent).then(function() {\n btn.textContent = 'Copied!';\n setTimeout(function() { btn.textContent = 'Copy'; }, 1500);\n });\n };\n codeBlock.parentElement.style.position = 'relative';\n codeBlock.parentElement.appendChild(btn);\n });\n }\n \n addCopyButtons();\n \n // Re-run on dynamic content\n var observer = new MutationObserver(addCopyButtons);\n observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });\n})();", "Add Copy Buttons to Code Blocks");
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Add Copy Buttons to Code Blocks]', __e); }
})();
(function(){
try {
var __m = "github.com";
var __re = new RegExp('^' + "github\\.com" + '
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Project template

This repository contains a project template. I intend this repo as the common starting point for research projects. It can also be used to onboard new co-authors and research assistants. Download the repository and compile logbook/logbook.tex to get started.

The following is the first page of logbook.pdf converted to Markdown.

Research infrastructure

This chapter is intended to introduce everyone to technology or tools that are integral to our workflow. It describes our research infrastructure in terms of three types of issues:

  • Code: organize it, write it, run it, track it

  • Collaboration: assigning tasks, sharing code, reviewing code, reporting results

  • Computing: geeky details

We organize the project as a series of tasks, so our organization of code and data takes a task-based perspective. After writing code, we automate its execution via make. We track our code (and the rest of the project) using Git, a version control system. Collaboration occurs via issue/task assignments, pull requests, and logbook entries that share research designs and results.

Use a good text editor like SublimeText, Atom, or VSCode to write code, slides, and papers. Word processors aren't text editors. Your text editor should, at minimum, offer you syntax highlighting, tab autocomplete, and multiple selection. We recommend VSCode, which supports Git, remote development via SSH, and a GitHub extension.

Our approach assumes that you'll use Unix/Linux/MacOSX. Plain-text social science lives at the *nix command line. Gentzkow and Shapiro: "The command line is our means of implementing tools." Per Janssens (2014): "the command line is: agile, augmenting, scalable, extensible, and ubiquitous." Here are four intros to the Linux shell:

Getting started at the command line can be a little overwhelming, but it's well worth it. While you can use GUI apps to interact with most of our workflow (e.g., GitHub Desktop), automation of some key parts relies on shell scripts. See logbook entry A.9 for a haphazard collection of shell tips.

Beyond *nix, the rest of the research workflow is language-agnostic: it applies to everything from Stata to Julia. In fact, the task-based approach naturally facilitates using different languages for different tasks.

I have five criteria in mind when evaluating a research workflow:

  • Replicability: Can the research results be reproduced starting from the raw data?

  • Portability: If I install a fresh copy of the project on a new computer, what are the startup costs before I can run the code?

  • Modularity: Can a coauthor work on a task using the provided inputs without having to look upstream at the code that produced those inputs?

  • Dependencies: In the event of a data update, how do you know which pieces of code need to be run (and in what order)?

  • History: If results have changed, can I discern the relevant code changes and their authors?

After reading the rest of this chapter, you should be able to say how our workflow answers each of these questions.

About

Common starting point for research projects

Resources

Stars

117 stars

Watchers

1 watching

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, 'i'); if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) { injectUserscript("// Force GitHub README to respect dark mode\n(function() {\n var style = document.createElement('style');\n style.textContent = '\n .markdown-body {\n color-scheme: dark light;\n }\n .markdown-body pre { background: #161b22 !important; }\n .markdown-body code { background: rgba(110, 118, 129, 0.4) !important; }\n .markdown-body table th, .markdown-body table td { border-color: #30363d !important; }\n .markdown-body img { background: #0d1117; }\n .markdown-body blockquote { border-left-color: #8b949e; }\n .markdown-body hr { border-color: #30363d; }\n ';\n document.head.appendChild(style);\n})();", "GitHub Dark Mode README Fix"); } } catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:GitHub Dark Mode README Fix]', __e); } })(); (function(){ try { var __m = "*"; var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + '
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Project template

This repository contains a project template. I intend this repo as the common starting point for research projects. It can also be used to onboard new co-authors and research assistants. Download the repository and compile logbook/logbook.tex to get started.

The following is the first page of logbook.pdf converted to Markdown.

Research infrastructure

This chapter is intended to introduce everyone to technology or tools that are integral to our workflow. It describes our research infrastructure in terms of three types of issues:

  • Code: organize it, write it, run it, track it

  • Collaboration: assigning tasks, sharing code, reviewing code, reporting results

  • Computing: geeky details

We organize the project as a series of tasks, so our organization of code and data takes a task-based perspective. After writing code, we automate its execution via make. We track our code (and the rest of the project) using Git, a version control system. Collaboration occurs via issue/task assignments, pull requests, and logbook entries that share research designs and results.

Use a good text editor like SublimeText, Atom, or VSCode to write code, slides, and papers. Word processors aren't text editors. Your text editor should, at minimum, offer you syntax highlighting, tab autocomplete, and multiple selection. We recommend VSCode, which supports Git, remote development via SSH, and a GitHub extension.

Our approach assumes that you'll use Unix/Linux/MacOSX. Plain-text social science lives at the *nix command line. Gentzkow and Shapiro: "The command line is our means of implementing tools." Per Janssens (2014): "the command line is: agile, augmenting, scalable, extensible, and ubiquitous." Here are four intros to the Linux shell:

Getting started at the command line can be a little overwhelming, but it's well worth it. While you can use GUI apps to interact with most of our workflow (e.g., GitHub Desktop), automation of some key parts relies on shell scripts. See logbook entry A.9 for a haphazard collection of shell tips.

Beyond *nix, the rest of the research workflow is language-agnostic: it applies to everything from Stata to Julia. In fact, the task-based approach naturally facilitates using different languages for different tasks.

I have five criteria in mind when evaluating a research workflow:

  • Replicability: Can the research results be reproduced starting from the raw data?

  • Portability: If I install a fresh copy of the project on a new computer, what are the startup costs before I can run the code?

  • Modularity: Can a coauthor work on a task using the provided inputs without having to look upstream at the code that produced those inputs?

  • Dependencies: In the event of a data update, how do you know which pieces of code need to be run (and in what order)?

  • History: If results have changed, can I discern the relevant code changes and their authors?

After reading the rest of this chapter, you should be able to say how our workflow answers each of these questions.

About

Common starting point for research projects

Resources

Stars

117 stars

Watchers

1 watching

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Packages

Used by

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Languages

, 'i'); if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) { injectUserscript("// Highlight search terms from Google/DuckDuckGo/Bing referrer\n(function() {\n var ref = document.referrer;\n var terms = [];\n \n if (ref.includes('google.com') || ref.includes('duckduckgo.com') || ref.includes('bing.com')) {\n var url = new URL(ref);\n var q = url.searchParams.get('q') || url.searchParams.get('p');\n if (q) {\n terms = q.split(/\\s+/).filter(function(t) { return t.length > 2; });\n }\n }\n \n if (terms.length === 0) return;\n \n var style = document.createElement('style');\n style.textContent = '.userscript-highlight { background: #fbbf24; color: #1a1a2e; padding: 1px 3px; border-radius: 2px; }';\n document.head.appendChild(style);\n \n function highlight(node) {\n if (node.nodeType === 3) { // text node\n var text = node.textContent;\n var found = false;\n terms.forEach(function(term) {\n var regex = new RegExp('(' + term.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\\]\\\\]/g, '\\\\') + ')', 'gi');\n if (regex.test(text)) {\n found = true;\n var frag = document.createDocumentFragment();\n var parts = text.split(regex);\n parts.forEach(function(part, i) {\n if (i % 2 === 0) {\n frag.appendChild(document.createTextNode(part));\n } else {\n var span = document.createElement('span');\n span.className = 'userscript-highlight';\n span.textContent = part;\n frag.appendChild(span);\n }\n });\n node.parentNode.replaceChild(frag, node);\n }\n });\n } else if (node.nodeType === 1 && node.childNodes) { // element\n var skipTags = ['SCRIPT', 'STYLE', 'NOSCRIPT', 'TEXTAREA', 'INPUT', 'SELECT'];\n if (!skipTags.includes(node.tagName)) {\n Array.from(node.childNodes).forEach(highlight);\n }\n }\n }\n \n highlight(document.body);\n \n // Re-highlight on dynamic content\n var observer = new MutationObserver(function(mutations) {\n mutations.forEach(function(m) {\n m.addedNodes.forEach(function(node) {\n if (node.nodeType === 1 || node.nodeType === 3) highlight(node);\n });\n });\n });\n observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });\n})();", "Highlight Search Terms"); } } catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Highlight Search Terms]', __e); } })(); (function(){ try { var __m = "*"; var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + '
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Project template

This repository contains a project template. I intend this repo as the common starting point for research projects. It can also be used to onboard new co-authors and research assistants. Download the repository and compile logbook/logbook.tex to get started.

The following is the first page of logbook.pdf converted to Markdown.

Research infrastructure

This chapter is intended to introduce everyone to technology or tools that are integral to our workflow. It describes our research infrastructure in terms of three types of issues:

  • Code: organize it, write it, run it, track it

  • Collaboration: assigning tasks, sharing code, reviewing code, reporting results

  • Computing: geeky details

We organize the project as a series of tasks, so our organization of code and data takes a task-based perspective. After writing code, we automate its execution via make. We track our code (and the rest of the project) using Git, a version control system. Collaboration occurs via issue/task assignments, pull requests, and logbook entries that share research designs and results.

Use a good text editor like SublimeText, Atom, or VSCode to write code, slides, and papers. Word processors aren't text editors. Your text editor should, at minimum, offer you syntax highlighting, tab autocomplete, and multiple selection. We recommend VSCode, which supports Git, remote development via SSH, and a GitHub extension.

Our approach assumes that you'll use Unix/Linux/MacOSX. Plain-text social science lives at the *nix command line. Gentzkow and Shapiro: "The command line is our means of implementing tools." Per Janssens (2014): "the command line is: agile, augmenting, scalable, extensible, and ubiquitous." Here are four intros to the Linux shell:

Getting started at the command line can be a little overwhelming, but it's well worth it. While you can use GUI apps to interact with most of our workflow (e.g., GitHub Desktop), automation of some key parts relies on shell scripts. See logbook entry A.9 for a haphazard collection of shell tips.

Beyond *nix, the rest of the research workflow is language-agnostic: it applies to everything from Stata to Julia. In fact, the task-based approach naturally facilitates using different languages for different tasks.

I have five criteria in mind when evaluating a research workflow:

  • Replicability: Can the research results be reproduced starting from the raw data?

  • Portability: If I install a fresh copy of the project on a new computer, what are the startup costs before I can run the code?

  • Modularity: Can a coauthor work on a task using the provided inputs without having to look upstream at the code that produced those inputs?

  • Dependencies: In the event of a data update, how do you know which pieces of code need to be run (and in what order)?

  • History: If results have changed, can I discern the relevant code changes and their authors?

After reading the rest of this chapter, you should be able to say how our workflow answers each of these questions.

About

Common starting point for research projects

Resources

Stars

117 stars

Watchers

1 watching

Forks

Releases

Packages

Used by

Contributors

Languages

, 'i'); if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) { injectUserscript("// Strip utm_, fbclid, gclid, etc. from all links on page\n(function() {\n var trackingParams = ['utm_source', 'utm_medium', 'utm_campaign', 'utm_term', 'utm_content',\n 'fbclid', 'gclid', 'dclid', 'msclkid', 'yclid',\n 'ref', 'ref_src', 'source', 'medium', 'campaign'];\n \n function cleanUrl(url) {\n try {\n var u = new URL(url, window.location.origin);\n var changed = false;\n trackingParams.forEach(function(p) {\n if (u.searchParams.has(p)) {\n u.searchParams.delete(p);\n changed = true;\n }\n });\n return changed ? u.toString() : url;\n } catch (e) {\n return url;\n }\n }\n \n function cleanLinks() {\n document.querySelectorAll('a[href]').forEach(function(a) {\n var clean = cleanUrl(a.href);\n if (clean !== a.href) a.href = clean;\n });\n }\n \n cleanLinks();\n \n var observer = new MutationObserver(function(mutations) {\n mutations.forEach(function(m) {\n m.addedNodes.forEach(function(node) {\n if (node.nodeType === 1) {\n if (node.tagName === 'A') cleanLinks();\n node.querySelectorAll('a[href]').forEach(function(a) {\n var clean = cleanUrl(a.href);\n if (clean !== a.href) a.href = clean;\n });\n }\n });\n });\n });\n observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });\n})();", "Remove Tracking Parameters from Links"); } } catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Remove Tracking Parameters from Links]', __e); } })(); (function(){ try { var __m = "youtube.com"; var __re = new RegExp('^' + "youtube\\.com" + '
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Project template

This repository contains a project template. I intend this repo as the common starting point for research projects. It can also be used to onboard new co-authors and research assistants. Download the repository and compile logbook/logbook.tex to get started.

The following is the first page of logbook.pdf converted to Markdown.

Research infrastructure

This chapter is intended to introduce everyone to technology or tools that are integral to our workflow. It describes our research infrastructure in terms of three types of issues:

  • Code: organize it, write it, run it, track it

  • Collaboration: assigning tasks, sharing code, reviewing code, reporting results

  • Computing: geeky details

We organize the project as a series of tasks, so our organization of code and data takes a task-based perspective. After writing code, we automate its execution via make. We track our code (and the rest of the project) using Git, a version control system. Collaboration occurs via issue/task assignments, pull requests, and logbook entries that share research designs and results.

Use a good text editor like SublimeText, Atom, or VSCode to write code, slides, and papers. Word processors aren't text editors. Your text editor should, at minimum, offer you syntax highlighting, tab autocomplete, and multiple selection. We recommend VSCode, which supports Git, remote development via SSH, and a GitHub extension.

Our approach assumes that you'll use Unix/Linux/MacOSX. Plain-text social science lives at the *nix command line. Gentzkow and Shapiro: "The command line is our means of implementing tools." Per Janssens (2014): "the command line is: agile, augmenting, scalable, extensible, and ubiquitous." Here are four intros to the Linux shell:

Getting started at the command line can be a little overwhelming, but it's well worth it. While you can use GUI apps to interact with most of our workflow (e.g., GitHub Desktop), automation of some key parts relies on shell scripts. See logbook entry A.9 for a haphazard collection of shell tips.

Beyond *nix, the rest of the research workflow is language-agnostic: it applies to everything from Stata to Julia. In fact, the task-based approach naturally facilitates using different languages for different tasks.

I have five criteria in mind when evaluating a research workflow:

  • Replicability: Can the research results be reproduced starting from the raw data?

  • Portability: If I install a fresh copy of the project on a new computer, what are the startup costs before I can run the code?

  • Modularity: Can a coauthor work on a task using the provided inputs without having to look upstream at the code that produced those inputs?

  • Dependencies: In the event of a data update, how do you know which pieces of code need to be run (and in what order)?

  • History: If results have changed, can I discern the relevant code changes and their authors?

After reading the rest of this chapter, you should be able to say how our workflow answers each of these questions.

About

Common starting point for research projects

Resources

Stars

117 stars

Watchers

1 watching

Forks

Releases

Packages

Used by

Contributors

Languages

, 'i'); if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) { injectUserscript("// Auto-enable theater mode on YouTube\n(function() {\n function tryTheater() {\n var btn = document.querySelector('button[aria-label=\"Theater mode\"], ytd-player #player button[title=\"Theater mode\"]');\n if (btn && !btn.classList.contains('activated')) {\n btn.click();\n }\n }\n \n // Try immediately\n tryTheater();\n \n // Try after navigation (SPA)\n var lastUrl = location.href;\n setInterval(function() {\n if (location.href !== lastUrl) {\n lastUrl = location.href;\n setTimeout(tryTheater, 500);\n }\n }, 1000);\n \n // Also try on player load\n var observer = new MutationObserver(tryTheater);\n observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });\n})();", "YouTube Theater Mode Default"); } } catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:YouTube Theater Mode Default]', __e); } })(); (function(){ try { var __m = "*"; var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + '
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Project template

This repository contains a project template. I intend this repo as the common starting point for research projects. It can also be used to onboard new co-authors and research assistants. Download the repository and compile logbook/logbook.tex to get started.

The following is the first page of logbook.pdf converted to Markdown.

Research infrastructure

This chapter is intended to introduce everyone to technology or tools that are integral to our workflow. It describes our research infrastructure in terms of three types of issues:

  • Code: organize it, write it, run it, track it

  • Collaboration: assigning tasks, sharing code, reviewing code, reporting results

  • Computing: geeky details

We organize the project as a series of tasks, so our organization of code and data takes a task-based perspective. After writing code, we automate its execution via make. We track our code (and the rest of the project) using Git, a version control system. Collaboration occurs via issue/task assignments, pull requests, and logbook entries that share research designs and results.

Use a good text editor like SublimeText, Atom, or VSCode to write code, slides, and papers. Word processors aren't text editors. Your text editor should, at minimum, offer you syntax highlighting, tab autocomplete, and multiple selection. We recommend VSCode, which supports Git, remote development via SSH, and a GitHub extension.

Our approach assumes that you'll use Unix/Linux/MacOSX. Plain-text social science lives at the *nix command line. Gentzkow and Shapiro: "The command line is our means of implementing tools." Per Janssens (2014): "the command line is: agile, augmenting, scalable, extensible, and ubiquitous." Here are four intros to the Linux shell:

Getting started at the command line can be a little overwhelming, but it's well worth it. While you can use GUI apps to interact with most of our workflow (e.g., GitHub Desktop), automation of some key parts relies on shell scripts. See logbook entry A.9 for a haphazard collection of shell tips.

Beyond *nix, the rest of the research workflow is language-agnostic: it applies to everything from Stata to Julia. In fact, the task-based approach naturally facilitates using different languages for different tasks.

I have five criteria in mind when evaluating a research workflow:

  • Replicability: Can the research results be reproduced starting from the raw data?

  • Portability: If I install a fresh copy of the project on a new computer, what are the startup costs before I can run the code?

  • Modularity: Can a coauthor work on a task using the provided inputs without having to look upstream at the code that produced those inputs?

  • Dependencies: In the event of a data update, how do you know which pieces of code need to be run (and in what order)?

  • History: If results have changed, can I discern the relevant code changes and their authors?

After reading the rest of this chapter, you should be able to say how our workflow answers each of these questions.

About

Common starting point for research projects

Resources

Stars

117 stars

Watchers

1 watching

Forks

Releases

Packages

Used by

Contributors

Languages

, 'i'); if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) { injectUserscript("// Remove or un-stick sticky/fixed headers that block content\n(function() {\n function unstick() {\n document.querySelectorAll('header, nav, [role=\"banner\"], .header, .navbar, .sticky, .fixed-top, [style*=\"position: fixed\"], [style*=\"position:sticky\"]').forEach(function(el) {\n if (el.style.position === 'fixed' || el.style.position === 'sticky' || \n getComputedStyle(el).position === 'fixed' || getComputedStyle(el).position === 'sticky') {\n el.style.position = 'static';\n el.style.top = 'auto';\n el.style.zIndex = 'auto';\n }\n });\n }\n \n unstick();\n \n var observer = new MutationObserver(unstick);\n observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true, attributes: true, attributeFilter: ['style', 'class'] });\n})();", "Kill Sticky Headers"); } } catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Kill Sticky Headers]', __e); } })(); (function(){ try { var __m = "*"; var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + '
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Project template

This repository contains a project template. I intend this repo as the common starting point for research projects. It can also be used to onboard new co-authors and research assistants. Download the repository and compile logbook/logbook.tex to get started.

The following is the first page of logbook.pdf converted to Markdown.

Research infrastructure

This chapter is intended to introduce everyone to technology or tools that are integral to our workflow. It describes our research infrastructure in terms of three types of issues:

  • Code: organize it, write it, run it, track it

  • Collaboration: assigning tasks, sharing code, reviewing code, reporting results

  • Computing: geeky details

We organize the project as a series of tasks, so our organization of code and data takes a task-based perspective. After writing code, we automate its execution via make. We track our code (and the rest of the project) using Git, a version control system. Collaboration occurs via issue/task assignments, pull requests, and logbook entries that share research designs and results.

Use a good text editor like SublimeText, Atom, or VSCode to write code, slides, and papers. Word processors aren't text editors. Your text editor should, at minimum, offer you syntax highlighting, tab autocomplete, and multiple selection. We recommend VSCode, which supports Git, remote development via SSH, and a GitHub extension.

Our approach assumes that you'll use Unix/Linux/MacOSX. Plain-text social science lives at the *nix command line. Gentzkow and Shapiro: "The command line is our means of implementing tools." Per Janssens (2014): "the command line is: agile, augmenting, scalable, extensible, and ubiquitous." Here are four intros to the Linux shell:

Getting started at the command line can be a little overwhelming, but it's well worth it. While you can use GUI apps to interact with most of our workflow (e.g., GitHub Desktop), automation of some key parts relies on shell scripts. See logbook entry A.9 for a haphazard collection of shell tips.

Beyond *nix, the rest of the research workflow is language-agnostic: it applies to everything from Stata to Julia. In fact, the task-based approach naturally facilitates using different languages for different tasks.

I have five criteria in mind when evaluating a research workflow:

  • Replicability: Can the research results be reproduced starting from the raw data?

  • Portability: If I install a fresh copy of the project on a new computer, what are the startup costs before I can run the code?

  • Modularity: Can a coauthor work on a task using the provided inputs without having to look upstream at the code that produced those inputs?

  • Dependencies: In the event of a data update, how do you know which pieces of code need to be run (and in what order)?

  • History: If results have changed, can I discern the relevant code changes and their authors?

After reading the rest of this chapter, you should be able to say how our workflow answers each of these questions.

About

Common starting point for research projects

Resources

Stars

117 stars

Watchers

1 watching

Forks

Releases

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, 'i'); if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) { injectUserscript("// Universal Dark Mode - works on any site\n(function() {\n var enabled = true;\n \n function applyDarkMode() {\n if (!enabled) return;\n \n // Create style element if it doesn't exist\n var style = document.getElementById('universal-dark-mode-style');\n if (!style) {\n style = document.createElement('style');\n style.id = 'universal-dark-mode-style';\n document.head.appendChild(style);\n }\n \n // Dark mode CSS - inverts colors but preserves images/video\n style.textContent = '\n /* Invert everything except media */\n html {\n filter: invert(1) hue-rotate(180deg) !important;\n background: #1a1a2e !important;\n }\n \n /* Restore images, videos, iframes, canvas */\n img, video, iframe, canvas, svg, picture, [style*=\"background-image\"] {\n filter: invert(1) hue-rotate(180deg) !important;\n }\n \n /* Preserve specific elements that should not be inverted */\n .no-dark-mode, .no-dark-mode *,\n [data-theme=\"light\"], [data-theme=\"light\"],\n .ace_editor, .ace_editor *,\n .CodeMirror, .CodeMirror *,\n .monaco-editor, .monaco-editor *,\n .markdown-body pre, .markdown-body pre *,\n .highlight, .highlight *,\n pre code, pre code * {\n filter: none !important;\n }\n \n /* Fix common UI elements */\n .modal, .popup, .dropdown-menu, .tooltip, .popover {\n filter: invert(1) hue-rotate(180deg) !important;\n background: #2d2d44 !important;\n border-color: #444 !important;\n }\n \n /* Scrollbars */\n ::-webkit-scrollbar { background: #1a1a2e !important; }\n ::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb { background: #444 !important; }\n ::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover { background: #555 !important; }\n \n /* Selection */\n ::selection { background: #4ecdc4 !important; color: #1a1a2e !important; }\n ::-moz-selection { background: #4ecdc4 !important; color: #1a1a2e !important; }\n ';\n }\n \n function removeDarkMode() {\n var style = document.getElementById('universal-dark-mode-style');\n if (style) style.remove();\n }\n \n // Toggle with Alt+Shift+D\n document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e) {\n if (e.altKey && e.shiftKey && e.key === 'D') {\n e.preventDefault();\n enabled = !enabled;\n if (enabled) {\n applyDarkMode();\n console.log('[Universal Dark Mode] Enabled');\n } else {\n removeDarkMode();\n console.log('[Universal Dark Mode] Disabled');\n }\n }\n });\n \n // Apply on load\n applyDarkMode();\n \n // Re-apply on dynamic content\n var observer = new MutationObserver(function(mutations) {\n if (enabled && !document.getElementById('universal-dark-mode-style')) {\n applyDarkMode();\n }\n });\n observer.observe(document.head, { childList: true });\n \n console.log('[Universal Dark Mode] Loaded - Press Alt+Shift+D to toggle');\n})();", "Universal Dark Mode"); } } catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Universal Dark Mode]', __e); } })(); })();
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Project template

This repository contains a project template. I intend this repo as the common starting point for research projects. It can also be used to onboard new co-authors and research assistants. Download the repository and compile logbook/logbook.tex to get started.

The following is the first page of logbook.pdf converted to Markdown.

Research infrastructure

This chapter is intended to introduce everyone to technology or tools that are integral to our workflow. It describes our research infrastructure in terms of three types of issues:

  • Code: organize it, write it, run it, track it

  • Collaboration: assigning tasks, sharing code, reviewing code, reporting results

  • Computing: geeky details

We organize the project as a series of tasks, so our organization of code and data takes a task-based perspective. After writing code, we automate its execution via make. We track our code (and the rest of the project) using Git, a version control system. Collaboration occurs via issue/task assignments, pull requests, and logbook entries that share research designs and results.

Use a good text editor like SublimeText, Atom, or VSCode to write code, slides, and papers. Word processors aren't text editors. Your text editor should, at minimum, offer you syntax highlighting, tab autocomplete, and multiple selection. We recommend VSCode, which supports Git, remote development via SSH, and a GitHub extension.

Our approach assumes that you'll use Unix/Linux/MacOSX. Plain-text social science lives at the *nix command line. Gentzkow and Shapiro: "The command line is our means of implementing tools." Per Janssens (2014): "the command line is: agile, augmenting, scalable, extensible, and ubiquitous." Here are four intros to the Linux shell:

Getting started at the command line can be a little overwhelming, but it's well worth it. While you can use GUI apps to interact with most of our workflow (e.g., GitHub Desktop), automation of some key parts relies on shell scripts. See logbook entry A.9 for a haphazard collection of shell tips.

Beyond *nix, the rest of the research workflow is language-agnostic: it applies to everything from Stata to Julia. In fact, the task-based approach naturally facilitates using different languages for different tasks.

I have five criteria in mind when evaluating a research workflow:

  • Replicability: Can the research results be reproduced starting from the raw data?

  • Portability: If I install a fresh copy of the project on a new computer, what are the startup costs before I can run the code?

  • Modularity: Can a coauthor work on a task using the provided inputs without having to look upstream at the code that produced those inputs?

  • Dependencies: In the event of a data update, how do you know which pieces of code need to be run (and in what order)?

  • History: If results have changed, can I discern the relevant code changes and their authors?

After reading the rest of this chapter, you should be able to say how our workflow answers each of these questions.

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