Star Wars at Central Banks

Adam Gorajek, Joel Bank, Andrew Staib, Benjamin Malin and Hamish Fitchett
Additional contact information
Adam Gorajek: Reserve Bank of Australia
Joel Bank: Reserve Bank of Australia
Andrew Staib: School of Economics, University of New South Wales
Hamish Fitchett: Reserve Bank of New Zealand

RBA Research Discussion Papers from Reserve Bank of Australia

Abstract: We investigate the credibility of central bank research by searching for traces of researcher bias, which is a tendency to use undisclosed analytical procedures that raise measured levels of statistical significance (stars) in artificial ways. To conduct our search, we compile a new dataset and borrow 2 bias-detection methods from the literature: the p-curve and z-curve. The results are mixed. The p-curve shows no traces of researcher bias but has a propensity to produce false negatives. The z-curve shows some traces of researcher bias but requires strong assumptions. We examine those assumptions and challenge their merit. At this point, all that is clear is that central banks produce results with patterns different from those in top economic journals, there being less bunching around the 5 per cent threshold of statistical significance.

Keywords: researcher bias; central banks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A11 C13 E58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-sog
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Star Wars at Central Banks (2021)
Working Paper: Star Wars at Central Banks (2021)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:rba:rbardp:rdp2021-02

DOI: 10.47688/rdp2021-02

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