| name | ectheory-topic-selection |
| description | Use when deciding whether a result is the right kind of contribution for Econometric Theory (ET) — a general, foundational econometric-theory result (asymptotics, proofs, theorems) rather than an applied estimate, and whether it fits a full Article or a short Miscellanea. |
Topic Selection (ectheory-topic-selection)
When to trigger
- You have a new estimator, limit result, or proof and are choosing a target journal
- Unsure whether the result is "ET-foundational" or really an applied/empirical paper
- Deciding between a full Article and a short Miscellanea
- Wondering whether the result fits one of ET's themed special-issue directions
The ET fit bar
ET rewards rigorous, general contributions to the mathematical and statistical foundations of
econometrics — asymptotic theory, probability-theoretic methods, time-series and nonstationarity
theory, high-dimensional and non-standard environments. The question to answer first: does this
result teach econometricians something about a method, a limit, or an inferential problem in
generality, rather than reporting one applied estimate? An empirical application is welcome only as
illustration; the spine must be theory.
Signals of a good ET topic:
- A new limit theory (consistency, asymptotic normality, rate, FCLT) under explicitly stated,
defensible regularity conditions
- A method whose inferential properties (size, power, robustness, partial identification) are
characterized, not just asserted
- A result that generalizes a known special case (weaker assumptions, broader DGP, larger
dimension, dependent data)
- Fit with current ET directions: econometric theory for ML/AI, causal inference under complex
interference, robust inference and partial identification, high-dimensional and non-standard
environments, network/spatial econometrics
Article vs Miscellanea
- Article — multiple major contributions, a new method with extensive proofs, and usually
simulations or an application. Regular Articles must not exceed 50 pages (overflow → online
Supplement).
- Miscellanea — a dedicated venue for one or two key innovations stated and proved
concisely; typically fewer than 20 pages, often ~15. A clean single theorem that sharpens or
corrects existing theory is a natural Miscellanea.
- The ET Interview is an invited oral-history genre, not author-submitted — do not target it.
Checklist
Anti-patterns
- An applied paper with a thin "theory" wrapper (belongs at an applied outlet)
- A narrow corollary of a known theorem dressed as a full Article (consider Miscellanea or rework)
- Targeting the invited ET Interview genre as if it were submittable
Fit-vs-venue routing table
When a result could go to several outlets, route it by what each venue rewards. Econometric Theory owns the
pure limit theory — the theorem and its proof are the contribution, with simulation as illustration.
| Result shape | Best home | Why |
|---|
| New limit theory / proof, generality is the point | Econometric Theory | rigorous asymptotics is ET's identity |
| Method with heavy empirical payoff, lighter theory | applied-method outlet | the estimate carries the paper |
| One sharp theorem correcting/sharpening existing theory | ET Miscellanea | a concise 1–2 innovation venue |
| Theory plus a major economic-substance contribution | a general-interest journal | economics is co-equal there |
A quick desk-reject self-test: if you cannot say in one sentence which assumption you weaken or which
limiting law was previously unproven, the result is likely a corollary, not an ET Article.
Fit pass for Econometric Theory
Treat this skill as an executable review pass, not a prose hint. First lock the primitive assumptions, theorem statement, proof route, and example showing why the result matters; then judge whether the current manuscript answers the venue's real reader: econometric theorists who read for assumptions, theorem novelty, proof architecture, and relation to known asymptotics.
- Do the pass: Score the manuscript on venue fit, novelty, evidence readiness, and audience ownership; reject a prestige-only target when a sibling venue owns the contribution more directly.
- Return a ledger: give
claim / evidence / risk / manuscript location rows, so the next agent can edit rather than rediscover the issue.
- Sibling guard: compare against Journal of Econometrics for applied-method reach, Quantitative Economics for theoretical economics, Econometrica for general theory-plus-economics contribution; if a sibling owns the contribution, recommend re-routing before polishing format.
- Stop condition: do not give submission-ready advice until the pack's
resources/official-source-map.md has been checked for volatile rules and the manuscript has one concrete fix for the largest venue-specific risk.
Output format
【Result】one-line statement of the theorem/limit
【ET fit】foundational theory? [Y/N] + why
【Type】Article / Miscellanea + page budget
【Themed fit】direction (if any)
【Next step】ectheory-literature-positioning
