brycewang-stanford/interpret-results

Interpret Regression Results

Write academic prose interpreting estimation output, suitable for pasting into index.qmd.

Arguments

• $ARGUMENTS — regression output (pasted directly), or a notebook cell reference (e.g., "notebook-02#tbl-main-regression")

Steps

1. Parse the regression output:

   • If a notebook cell reference is provided, read that notebook and extract the output from the specified cell
   • If output is pasted directly, parse the coefficients, standard errors, significance levels, and fit statistics

2. Identify key elements:

   • Dependent variable
   • Key independent variable(s) of interest (vs. controls)
   • Significance levels and confidence intervals
   • R-squared, N, F-statistic
   • Fixed effects or clustering used

3. Draft 1–3 paragraphs of academic prose covering:

   • Statistical significance: Which coefficients are significant at which levels
   • Direction and magnitude: Sign and size of key coefficients, in interpretable units
   • Economic significance: What the coefficient means in practical terms (e.g., "a one standard deviation increase in X is associated with a Y% change in the outcome")
   • Comparison across specifications: If multiple columns, note how results change with additional controls or FE
   • Robustness: Note whether results are stable across specifications

4. Use appropriate academic hedging language:

   • "The results suggest..." / "We find evidence consistent with..."
   • "The coefficient is statistically significant at the 5% level"
   • "The point estimate implies that..."
   • Avoid causal language unless the identification strategy supports it

5. Format the output for index.qmd:

   • Use Quarto cross-references where appropriate (e.g., "as shown in @tbl-main-regression")
   • Include parenthetical references to table columns (e.g., "Column (3)")
   • Note: use plain prose for cross-references to embedded content to avoid Quarto crossref warnings

6. Present the draft to the user for review. Do not insert into index.qmd without approval.

Error handling

• If the output format is not recognized, ask the user to clarify which values are coefficients, SEs, and significance indicators.