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Causal inference in network experiments: regression-based analysis and design-based properties

Mengsi Gao, Peng Ding

arXiv 14 Sep 2023 · Econometrics · publishedJournal of Econometrics (2025) · 2 citations (OpenAlex)

arXiv:2309.07476 · PDF · DOI · OpenAlex · Extracted main text

Abstract

Network experiments are powerful tools for studying spillover effects, which avoid endogeneity by randomly assigning treatments to units over networks. However, it is non-trivial to analyze network experiments properly without imposing strong modeling assumptions. We show that regression-based point estimators and standard errors can have strong theoretical guarantees if the regression functions and robust standard errors are carefully specified to accommodate the interference patterns under network experiments. We first recall a well-known result that the H\'ajek estimator is numerically identical to the coefficient from the weighted-least-squares fit based on the inverse probability of the exposure mapping. Moreover, we demonstrate that the regression-based approach offers three notable advantages: its ease of implementation, the ability to derive standard errors through the same regression fit, and the potential to integrate covariates into the analysis to improve efficiency. Recognizing that the regression-based network-robust covariance estimator can be anti-conservative under nonconstant effects, we propose an adjusted covariance estimator to improve the empirical coverage rates.

Citation extraction

92
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Most heavily cited references

The works this paper leans on most, across its whole bibliography — not restricted to papers in our corpus. Ranked by composite intensity, which combines how often a work is mentioned, how many sections mention it, and how much of that falls in the main text rather than the appendix.

ReferenceIntensityMentionsSectionsMain text
1Aronow, P. M. and C. Samii (2017) Estimating Average Causal Effects under General Interference, with Application to a Social Network Experiment1.000144100%
2Paluck, E. L., H. Shepherd, and P. M. Aronow (2016) Changing Climates of Conflict: A Social Network Experiment in 56 Schools1.00083100%
3Lin, W (2013) Agnostic Notes on Regression Adjustments to Experimental Data: Reexamining Freedman's Critique0.8947371%
4Kojevnikov, D (2021) The Bootstrap for Network Dependent Processes, ArXiv preprint arXiv:http://arxiv.org/abs/2101.123122101.123120.88316469%
5Fisher, R. A (1935) The Design of Experiments0.87452100%
6Leung, M. P (2022) a): Causal Inference Under Approximate Neighborhood Interference0.81668754%
7Leung, M. P (2019) Causal Inference Under Approximate Neighborhood Interference, ArXiv preprint arXiv:1911.07106v10.76911345%
8Su, F. and P. Ding (2021) Model-Assisted Analyses of Cluster-Randomized Experiments0.7373367%
9Zhao, A. and P. Ding (2022) Reconciling Design-Based and Model-Based Causal Inferences for Split-Plot Experiments0.7373367%
10Zhao, A., P. Ding, and F. Li (2024) Covariate Adjustment in Randomized Experiments with Missing Outcomes and Covariates0.7373367%

Showing the top 10 of 92 scored citations.

Cited by, within the corpus

arXiv econ.EM papers that cite this one, ranked by how heavily they lean on it.

Citing paperIntensityMentionsSections
1Unifying regression-based and design-based causal inference in time-series experiments0.92853
2Design-based Estimation Theory for Complex Experiments0.73732
3GMM and M Estimation under Network Dependence0.64422
4Graph Neural Networks for Causal Inference Under Network Confounding0.58531
5Causal clustering: design of cluster experiments under network interference0.51142
6Individualized Policy Evaluation and Learning under Clustered Network Interference0.40511
7Regression Discontinuity Design with Spillovers0.40511
8A Primer on the Analysis of Randomized Experiments and a Survey of some Recent Advances0.40511
9Fixed-Population Causal Inference for Models of Equilibrium0.40511
10Limit Theorems for Network Data without Metric Structure0.40511