ecj-identificationUse when the empirical identification strategy is the bottleneck for a The Economic Journal (EJ) manuscript — quasi-experimental designs (DID, IV, RDD, event study) or structural estimation. Stress-tests the design and its economic interpretation before drafting tables; it does not write the model f
ecj-literature-positioningUse when writing or repairing the introduction and related-work framing for a The Economic Journal (EJ) manuscript — situating the contribution for a broad economics readership with author-date citations. Frames positioning and the intro arc; it does not run the empirics or build the model.
ecj-rebuttalUse when a The Economic Journal (EJ) decision letter (R&R or reject-with-encouragement) has arrived and you need to draft the response-to-referees letter and revision plan. Structures the response and the diff; it does not redo the analysis (route back to ecj-identification / ecj-theory-model / ecj-
ecj-referee-strategyUse when running a pre-submission pre-mortem on a The Economic Journal (EJ) manuscript to anticipate the broad-interest, identification, and mechanism objections a demanding general-interest referee will raise. Builds the threat list and pre-empts it; it does not write the R&R response (see ecj-rebu
ecj-replication-packageUse when assembling the data and code replication package for a The Economic Journal (EJ) manuscript to the RES / EJ Data Editor standard (DCAS-endorsed, Zenodo deposit, reproducibility check before final acceptance). Builds the package and README; it does not run the analysis itself.
ecj-robustnessUse when the main result of a The Economic Journal (EJ) manuscript rests on a single specification and you need to pre-empt the alternative-explanation and fragility objections a demanding referee will raise. Builds the robustness battery and the falsification logic; it does not establish the primar
ecj-submissionUse when running the final pre-submission preflight for a The Economic Journal (EJ) manuscript via Editorial Express — single PDF format, author-date references, single-blind review, JEL codes and keywords, full-length vs. short-paper choice, submission-fee awareness, funding disclosure, and the RES
ecj-tables-figuresUse when finalizing the main exhibits (tables and figures) of a The Economic Journal (EJ) manuscript so each one carries economic content, reads to a general audience, and is self-contained. Sets exhibit design and notes standards; it does not decide which results to report (see ecj-robustness).
ecj-theory-modelUse when a The Economic Journal (EJ) manuscript needs an explicit economic model or mechanism — either a theory paper's model, or the framework that gives a reduced-form empirical result its economic meaning. Builds and disciplines the economic argument; it does not run estimation (see ecj-identific
ecj-topic-selectionUse when scoping or framing a research question for a The Economic Journal (EJ) manuscript and you need to test whether it is "EJ-shaped" — a substantial contribution of broad interest to economists at large, full-length or short-paper. Diagnoses fit and frames the contribution; it does not design t
ecj-workflowUse when deciding which ecj-* sub-skill to invoke next, or when sequencing manuscript work from topic selection through rebuttal for a The Economic Journal (EJ) submission. Routes — it does not replace — the specialized skills.
ecj-writing-styleUse when polishing the prose of a The Economic Journal (EJ) manuscript into its clear, generalist-legible, economics-first register. Tightens voice, structure, and citation/format house style; it does not fix the economic argument itself (see ecj-theory-model / ecj-identification).