4.34 Identification Analysis & Strategy

• Identification analysis: “[…] identifies the assumptions needed for statistical estimates to be given a causal interpretation.” (Keele 2015b, 2)
• Identification strategy (Keele 2015b, 2)
  • A research design intended to solve the identification problem, e.g. randomized experiment, natural experiment etc.
  • Consists of an assumption or set of assumptions that will identify the causal effect of interest
    • “What is your identification strategy?” = “What research design (and assumptions) are you using?”

References

Keele, Luke. 2015b. “The Statistics of Causal Inference: A View from Political Methodology.” Polit. Anal. 23 (3): 313–35.