| name | joe-tables-figures |
| description | Use when building the Monte Carlo tables and theory-illustrating figures for a Journal of Econometrics (JoE) manuscript. Covers size/power table conventions, estimator-comparison layout, and figures that make asymptotic and finite-sample behavior legible. |
Tables & Figures (joe-tables-figures)
When to trigger
- Monte Carlo results exist but the tables are dense, unlabeled, or hard to compare across methods
- Size and power are mixed into one block so distortion is invisible
- Figures show output but not the behavior the theorems predict (rates, coverage, distributions)
- You are formatting exhibits for a PDF-only initial submission and want them print-legible
What JoE exhibits must do
At the Journal of Econometrics the exhibits are the empirical backbone of a methods paper: they have to let a referee verify, at a glance, that the estimator is well-behaved and the test controls size. Initial submission is a single PDF (~40 pages, ≥1.5 spacing, 11pt), so tables and figures must be readable inline at that density; structured formatting and source files are handled at revision/acceptance. Build self-contained exhibits whose notes state the DGP, sample sizes, replication count, and nominal level.
Monte Carlo table conventions
- Separate size from power. Report empirical size at nominal 5%/10% in its own panel; report size-adjusted power separately so a size-distorted test cannot masquerade as powerful.
- One method per column (or panel), one DGP/$n$ per row block. The reader should compare your method to the nearest competitor down a column without hunting.
- Report bias, RMSE, and CI coverage for estimators; mark the best in each row if it aids reading.
- Notes are mandatory: DGP description, error distribution, dependence structure, $n$, replication count, and any tuning values. A referee should reproduce the table's meaning from the note alone.
- Keep decimal places consistent; do not over-report precision that the replication count cannot support.
Figures that illustrate theory
- Size/power curves across the parameter; coverage vs. $n$ to show asymptotics kicking in; QQ plots or densities of the standardized statistic against its limiting distribution.
- Sensitivity plots over tuning parameters (bandwidth, lag length, penalty) to show robustness.
- Plot confidence bands / Monte Carlo error; avoid chartjunk (no 3D, minimal color, legible at print size).
- Use vector output (PDF/EPS) so exhibits stay crisp; ensure they survive grayscale printing.
Formatting notes
- Number tables and figures, call them out in order, and give each a self-contained caption.
- Math in captions/notes in LaTeX via the elsarticle class for consistency with the manuscript.
- At submission everything lives in the single PDF; keep source and high-res files staged for acceptance.
Execution bridge (StatsPAI / Stata MCP)
Generate exhibits from the fitted result, not by retyping numbers. Full map:
execution-with-mcp. Journal of Econometrics is a methods venue — estimator validity + simulation evidence are the contribution; pair estimates with diagnostics and Monte-Carlo where relevant.
- Tables:
etable (multi-model) or did_summary_to_latex straight from the result_id.
- Figures:
plot_from_result / enhanced_event_study_plot / event_study_table —
axis units and the SE/clustering note baked in.
- Every note names the estimator + clustering and states the magnitude in interpretable units.
See a full fitted-result → exhibit chain in the JF execution walkthrough.
Anti-patterns
- A 12-column table with no row/column grouping and no notes
- Power reported without empirical size (size-distorted power is meaningless)
- Tuning-parameter sensitivity omitted, hiding fragility
- Figures with default software styling, illegible in grayscale, or missing Monte Carlo error
- Over-precise decimals implying accuracy the replication count cannot deliver
Output format
【Size table】separate panel, nominal 5%/10%? [Y/N]
【Power table】size-adjusted, vs. nearest method? [Y/N]
【Estimator table】bias / RMSE / coverage? [Y/N]
【Notes】DGP / n / reps / tuning stated? [Y/N]
【Theory figures】coverage-vs-n / power curves / limiting-dist check? [list]
【Print quality】vector, grayscale-safe, legible in single PDF? [Y/N]
【Next step】joe-writing-style
