Center for Violence Prevention & Community Safety’s
Short Course Series on Applied Research Methods
Course: The use of propensity score matching methods in the social and behavioral
sciences
Instructor: Melissa S. Kovacs, Ph.D.
Date: February 19, 2010
Time: 10:00am-3:00pm
Location: Arizona State University at the Downtown Campus
500 N 3rd St, Ste 200
Room: To Be Determined
Phoenix AZ 85004-2135
Topic
In an ideal research world, we would be able to easily implement randomized experiments that
lead us to causal results. Unfortunately this is not always possible and propensity score
matching (PSM) methods have become an extremely popular alternative used by researchers
and policy analysts for selecting a matched comparison group that mimics a treatment group.
Matching methods are helpful to test the impact of certain public policies resulting in evidence-
based policy making and to isolate the effects of government or nonprofit programs.
This half-day seminar will offer a thorough but understandable overview of matching methods.
The first part of the seminar will focus on the principals underlying PSM, the benefits and
limitations of its use, and provide context to when PSM should and should not be used, and
how it is currently used in the literature. The second part of the seminar will focus on applying
matching methods to a series of problems and data questions. The applied portion of the
seminar will be instructed using STATA.
Prerequisites
A working knowledge of OLS regression is required. The applied part of the course will rely on STATA, of
which basic familiarity will be assumed.
Audience
This short course is appropriate for faculty, graduate students, and analysts from the social and
behavioral sciences (e.g., criminology & criminal justice, political science, public health,
psychology, social work, sociology, recreation and tourism) who examine research questions
that are causal in nature.
Instructor
Melissa S. Kovacs received her Ph.D. in public policy in 2005 from the University of Maryland,
College Park, specializing in education policy and quantitative research methods. She has been
an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Allegheny College and a Fulbright Professor in
Essen, Germany. Her published research utilizes propensity score matching methods to explore
the effects of civic education policies on youth political participation. She has also published on
minority racial / ethnic political participation, racial politics, and young women’s political
participation. Kovacs has previously been affiliated with the Center for Political Participation at
Allegheny College and CIRCLE, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and
Engagement. She also has work experience as a social worker and Congressional staffer.
Registration
This short course is open to the public at large. For registration prior to January 20th the cost for faculty,
postdoctoral fellows, and others is $145, and the cost for graduate students is $95. For registration
January 20th and after the cost for faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and others is $175 and the cost for
graduate students is $125. The cost of the course includes a course packet and lunch. Register online
at www.regonline.com/PSM.
Individual Responsibilities/Work Plan
Charles Katz
Overall coordination of project
Melisa Kovacs
Provide power point presentation 3 working days prior to workshop.
Prep and teach the workshop.
Jody Arganbright
Will set up and manage Reg-online. This will be set up by December 9th.
Will make meal selections available.
Will execute contract with Melisa Kovacs and Cotter Research.
Elizabeth Apodaca
Will reserve 1 room for 40 people and one room for 175 people by December 8th.
Will conduct ASU marketing of workshop via e-mails to faculty and students.
Will coordinate refreshments and lunch.
Will coordinate equipment needs.
Corry
Will write one news article about the workshop that will be printed in the ASU paper and ASU
Insight.
Felipe/Wendy
Will produce a one page document to be used for marketing of the workshop (see above for
example).
Cotter Research
Will advertise and market the workshop to the following groups: universities with graduate
programs in such programs as sociology, criminology, public administration, and social work;
members of the American Society of Criminology and other similar membership organizations;
relevant not-for-profit entities such as the Vera Institute, Urban Institute, etc; relevant federal
agencies such as the Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, etc.
Will reach out to universities, professional organizations, not-for-profits, etc to post information
about the workshop on their websites
Will reach out to individuals to help promote the workshop among their professional networks
Will use e-mail and other e-conduits to broadcast information about the workshop
Will send out the initial e-mail to all intended recipients upon notification that ASU is prepared
to accept registration
Will coordinate with ASU to identify which e-mail recipients have not registered after the initial
e-mail was sent and will send out a second e-mail message to unregistered recipients – this
process will also be repeated a third time if needed (in 15 business- day cycles)