Class Logistics

Hand in---Hand In for Replication Paper---Must attend---Should attend---Hopefully attend---Things instructors do

Your Part 

Perusall

Lecture Videos  

Pre-recorded lecture videos are a key component of this course. The videos are embedded as “assignments” on Perusall, and you should watch them before the due date shown on Perusall.

Class Meetings on Mondays 

We will also hold synchronous class meetings once a week on Mondays. We expect these meetings to be in person, following the FAS Fall Plan.

Attendance of live class meetings on Mondays is mandatory for FAS students and optional for DCE students. FAS students can ask for exemptions on an individual basis.

Sections

As of now, two equivalent sections will be held every week on Wednesdays and Thursdays [Time is TBD]. You can join whichever session fits your schedule best.

Office Hours

Each TF holds 2 office hours per week. One hour is reserved for one-on-one meetings, whicn can be booked here. The other hour is "drop in" - all students can attend, no sign-up required. See the above "Weekly Schedule" for information on each offering. 

Problem Sets

There will be two types of assignments for this class 1) problem sets, and 2) either a replication paper (FAS students) or an exam (DCE students). You may work on the problem sets in groups, but each problem set will also contain individual "assessment questions" (marked by a *) that we ask you to complete individually. Problem sets can be found on our website but are gated, i.e. only those enrolled in the course can access them.

The schedule works as follows: problem sets are released right after class on Monday. They are due at 11:59PM on the Saturday of that week. For example: problem set 2 is released on Monday September 13 after class and is due on September 17 on Gradescope. You can find all relevant due dates for assignments on the Gov2001 calendar.
 

Each week, you will also peer review the problem set submission of one other student on Perusall. We will assign peer reviewing on Perusall on Sunday evening. Every week, you have at least 48 hours to complete peer-reviewing, i.e. peer reviewing is due on Tuesdays at 11:59PM. The goal is to give helpful feedback and compare the submission to the solution key we provide.

Replication Paper

Along with Problem Sets, a short weekly progress check will be due on Satuday at 11:59PM. The progress check is not intended to add more work, but should serve as a quick weekly reminder on making progress towards the replication assignment. Research is gradual, but the most important checkpoints that you don't want to miss are listed below:

1) Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 11:59PM EST: A one page write-up of your project is due. For detailed instructions on this, please read here and here.

2) Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 11:59PM EST: Due date for the second milestone for the replication paper. You should have successfully replicated the main results in the paper you're replicating.  

3) Monday, November 29, 2021 at 11:59PM EST: This is due on a Monday in line with the holiday and final class day.

You will turn in a first draft of your paper. This draft should contain all figures and tables, and a proposed outline of the paper, in a relatively polished form. This draft need not have much text yet (although the more you complete, the more useful comments you will get in return). Also turn in a replication data file, with all of the data and information necessary to replicate your results and reproduce your tables and figures. At the same time, we will assign your paper to several other students to replicate, and you will receive another group’s paper to replicate. 

4) Saturday, December 4, 2021 at 11:59PM EST: You will replicate the other group’s proto-paper and write a memo to them (with a copy to us), pointing out ways to improve their paper and analysis. You will be evaluated based on how helpful, not how destructive, you are. The best comments are written so fellow students can hear and learn from them rather than trying to demonstrate how smart you are.

5) Sunday, December 12, 2021, 11:59PM EST: Turn in the final version of the paper. By the same deadline, you must also follow standard academic practice and create a permanent replication data archive by uploading all your data and code to the Gov2001 Dataverse (j.mp/G2001dv). 

6) Wednesday, December 15, 2021, 11:59PM EST: Once your paper is turned in, we will assign it to another student and assign you another paper to evaluate. Your last assignment for this class is to read and comment on a fellow group’s final paper. Your main objective is to give feedback on what changes and improvements need to happen in order for the paper to be published (we’ll explain!).

Final

Students in the DCE section will complete a take-home, open-note 24-hour final exam. You will be able to check it out for any 24 hour window starting December 10th, 11:59pm EST to December 13th, 11:59pm EST. That means December 14th, 11:59pm EST is theoretically the latest that you can submit your final exam if you check it out 24 hours prior. You may not discuss any aspects of the exam with anyone other than the teaching staff until solutions are posted. We will not accept any submissions after this date nor any submissions completed in more than 24 hours. You may consult any of the materials you or we have created this semester to complete it. You may also consult the Internet, to the extent that it's helpful.

Grades

Final grades will be a weighted average of (a) the replication paper (or final exam), (b) weekly problem sets and assessment questions, and (c) "engagement".

“Engagement” includes coming to class and section, coming prepared, joining in the discussion in class and out of class (through Perusall and via assignment and paper groups). We recognize that some may prefer to participate more in person, online, or both, and compensating for one by emphasizing another is fine. However, to receive engagement credit as an FAS student, you must at a minimum come to class every week and be a responsible member of the class community. Finding other ways of helping your classmates learn more or to build class camaraderie is also helpful and appreciated.

Participation in discussions, and annotations on Perusall, will be evaluated based on the quality and quantity of meaningful engagement with the material and your fellow students; how often you give the right answer is not relevant.

For undergraduate students enrolled in Gov1002, final grades will take into consideration that this is a graduate-level course.