Senior Research Workshop II In this second semester of the senior research workshop sequence, the focus is on the execution of the research plan developed in ECON 0701.  Most instruction is now one-on-one but the workshop will still meet as a group to discuss and practice the presentation of results in various formats (seminars, poster sessions, et cetera) to the rest of the workshop and others in the college and broader communities. Feedback and critiques from such presentations will be incorporated into the project, which will culminate in a research paper in the style of an economics journal article.

Senior Research Workshop I In this first semester, students will design and begin their projects. Emphasis will be on designing a novel research question (while making the case for its importance) and an appropriate strategy for answering it. This requires immersion in the academic literature on the topic. General research principles and tools will be taught in class, as a group, while those specific to individual projects will be covered in one-on-one meetings. By the end of the term, students will outline their plan for completing the project, including demonstrating that it is a feasible research question for which the necessary information (e.g., data or source materials) is available or can be generated by the student (e.g., lab or other experiment).

Introduction to Regression Analysis In this course regression analysis is introduced. The major focus is on quantifying relationships between economic variables. Multiple regression identifies the effect of several exogenous variables on an endogenous variable. After exploring the classical regression model, fundamental assumptions underlying this model will be relaxed, and further new techniques will be introduced. Methods for testing hypotheses about the regression coefficients are developed throughout the course. Both theoretical principles and practical applications will be emphasized. The course goal is for each student to employ regression analysis as a research tool and to justify and defend the techniques used. (MATH 0121; and ECON 0111, (formerly ECON 0210) ECON 0150 or ECON 0155) Please note: STAT 0211 may not be used to fulfill the ECON 0211 Regression requirement for the Economics major.

Causal Inference “Correlation is not causation” is a frequent refrain from people investigating relationships in data.  But what does this mean?  In this course we will focus on empirical tools that economists use to identify causal relationships.  Students will explore the concept of causality and estimation of counterfactuals using randomized and natural experiments to study economic and social phenomena. Students will learn to apply the main research designs used by economists including randomized control trials (RCTs), difference-in-differences estimation, event studies, instrumental variables, and regression discontinuity.  The ethics of conducting empirical research will also be emphasized throughout the course. (ECON 0211)

Empirical Research Methods in Economics In this course we will provide students with the tools to conceptualize, design, and carry out a research project in economics. Topics will include survey design, sampling and power, experimental design (in and out of the lab), natural experiments, and other approaches to identifying causal relationships. Drawing from several sub-disciplines in economics, students will examine, replicate, and critique various studies. Emphasis will be placed on the formulation of valid, feasible research questions, and on the description and interpretation of results.

Caitlin Myers

Reviews and ratings for Caitlin Myers at Middlebury College.Caitlin Myers teaches Senior Research Workshop II, Senior Research Workshop I, Regression Analysis and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Caitlin Myers good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

This is definitely a very technical course, and I have not found it to be too broadly applicable unless you are literally planning on being a straight up economist. Lots of coding and long form derivations.

Professor Myers explains course materials extremely clearly and that helps so much when Regression is a relatively difficult class. She also records her lectures, so you have extra materials to consult while you do homework or study for exams. 

Regression analysis is a hard topic but Professor Caitlin Myers is a great professor. She really engage you into the topics and make sure every student is on the same page. She would also record her class and all the notes she write on board are clean and well-structured.