joe-tables-figures

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](../../../shared-resources/empirical-methods/execution-with-mcp.md). 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](../../../Journal-of-Finance-Skills/resources/worked-examples/02-execution-walkthrough.md).

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