Tables & Figures (ectheory-tables-figures)
When to trigger
- Turning Monte Carlo output into publication tables (size, power, coverage, bias, RMSE)
- Building plots of finite-sample distributions, convergence to the limit, or rejection curves
- Preparing figure files to ET's format and resolution specs
- Checking that exhibits are self-contained and legible after print reduction
What ET exhibits look like
ET is a theory journal, so most exhibits are simulation tables and diagnostic plots that
illustrate the asymptotics, not empirical-result tables. Common exhibits:
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Size/power tables — empirical rejection rates under the null (vs nominal level) and under
alternatives, across DGPs and sample sizes.
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Coverage / bias / RMSE tables — for estimators, across n and DGP, against a benchmark method.
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Distribution / convergence plots — empirical vs limiting density (e.g., normal, mixed-normal,
Brownian functional); QQ plots; rejection curves as a function of the alternative.
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Rate plots — a statistic against n on a scale that reveals the convergence rate.
Construction standards
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Self-contained notes. Each table/figure note states the DGP, sample sizes, number of
replications, nominal level, and what each column/curve is — readable without the main text.
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Honest contrast. Put your method beside the natural competitor in the same table; do not hide
the comparison.
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Legibility. Exhibits must be legible at 50% reduction; avoid chartjunk, 3D, and dense
color. Keep table precision sensible (e.g., 3 decimals for rejection rates).
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Figure files (ET specs). Supply TIFF (line art >=600 dpi, greyscale >=300 dpi), EPS
(fonts embedded), or PDF. Embed fonts; vector output for line art.
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Numbering. Tables and figures numbered and called out in order in the text.
Checklist
Anti-patterns
- A size table without the nominal level, so over-/under-rejection cannot be judged
- Notes that require the reader to hunt through the text to decode the columns
- Cherry-picked DGPs hiding the regime where the method underperforms
- Raster figures at low dpi that blur at print reduction
- 3D bars or rainbow palettes obscuring a simple size/power comparison
Exhibit 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.
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Do the pass: For every table or figure, state the estimand or object, sample or case base, uncertainty display, and one sentence the exhibit proves for the venue audience.
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Return a ledger: give
claim / evidence / risk / manuscript location rows, so the next agent can edit rather than rediscover the issue.
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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.
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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
【Exhibit】size / power / coverage / bias-RMSE / distribution / rate plot
【Self-contained note】DGP + n + reps + level stated? [Y/N]
【Benchmark shown】[Y/N]
【Legible at 50%】[Y/N]
【File format】TIFF / EPS / PDF, fonts embedded? [Y/N]
【Next step】ectheory-writing-style
