#LyX 1.4.2 created this file. For more info see http://www.lyx.org/
\lyxformat 245
\begin_document
\begin_header
\textclass article
\begin_preamble
\usepackage{lmodern}

\usepackage{ragged2e}
\RaggedRight
\setlength{\parindent}{2 em}

\usepackage{ifthen}
\makeatletter
\renewenvironment{figure}[1][]{%
 \ifthenelse{\equal{#1}{}}{%
   \@float{figure}
 }{%
   \@float{figure}[#1]%
 }%
 \centering


}{%
 \end@float
}


\renewenvironment{table}[1][]{%
 \ifthenelse{\equal{#1}{}}{%
   \@float{table}
 }{%
   \@float{table}[#1]%
 }%
 \centering
%  \setlength{\@tempdima}{\abovecaptionskip}%
%  \setlength{\abovecaptionskip}{\belowcaptionskip}%
% \setlength{\belowcaptionskip}{\@tempdima}%

}{%
 \end@float
}


\makeatother
\end_preamble
\language english
\inputencoding auto
\fontscheme default
\graphics default
\paperfontsize 12
\spacing single
\papersize letterpaper
\use_geometry true
\use_amsmath 1
\cite_engine natbib_authoryear
\use_bibtopic false
\paperorientation portrait
\leftmargin 1in
\topmargin 1in
\rightmargin 1in
\bottommargin 1in
\secnumdepth 3
\tocdepth 3
\paragraph_separation skip
\defskip bigskip
\quotes_language english
\papercolumns 1
\papersides 1
\paperpagestyle default
\tracking_changes false
\output_changes false
\end_header

\begin_body

\begin_layout Title
This is a Template for a POLS707 Paper
\end_layout

\begin_layout Author
Paul E.
 Johnson
\end_layout

\begin_layout Standard
I've just whipped up this document 
\begin_inset Quotes eld
\end_inset

ps707-template-01.lyx
\begin_inset Quotes erd
\end_inset

.
 It sets a number of 
\begin_inset Quotes eld
\end_inset

behind the scenes parameters
\begin_inset Quotes erd
\end_inset

 that should help a bit.
 It has some EXPERIMENTAL code in Document Settings/Preamble which should
 cause your figures to be centered automatically (no more need to do 
\begin_inset Quotes eld
\end_inset

edit/paragraph/center
\begin_inset Quotes erd
\end_inset

 (boring!)).
 It sets the fonts to large, adjusts margins, and sets paragraph separators.
 
\end_layout

\begin_layout Section
Introduction
\end_layout

\begin_layout Standard
Describe the data and research question here.
 Present a nice looking scatterplot.
 I've just done some testing and it appears that graphics DO come out centered
 in DVI or PDF output.
\end_layout

\begin_layout Section
Ordinary Least Squares Estimation
\end_layout

\begin_layout Standard
Present your model in the form
\begin_inset Formula \begin{equation}
y_{i}=b_{0}+b_{1}x_{i}+e_{i}\label{eq:ols}\end{equation}

\end_inset

 and be careful to define all terms.
 Note I've labeled my equation, so it is numbered in the results.
\end_layout

\begin_layout Standard
State your null hypotheses.
\end_layout

\begin_layout Standard
What assumptions do you make in order to estimate the parameters? What process
 is used to estimate parameters? You should describe the process through
 which OLS estimates the important parameters, but your need not present
 a detailed derivation.
 I DO believe it is within each student's grasp to write an equation like
 this
\begin_inset Formula \begin{equation}
S(\hat{b}_{o},\hat{b}_{1})=\sum_{i=1}^{N}(y_{i}-\hat{y}_{i})^{2}=\sum_{i=1}^{N}(y_{i}-\hat{b}_{0}+\hat{b}_{1}x_{i})^{2}\label{eq:SSQ}\end{equation}

\end_inset


\end_layout

\begin_layout Standard
Equation 
\begin_inset LatexCommand \ref{eq:SSQ}

\end_inset

 presupposes you have already described the 'hat' and its importance in
 the OLS approach.
 Note the use of cross reference in previous sentence.
\end_layout

\begin_layout Section
Results
\end_layout

\begin_layout Standard
Present results (table or other nice format), define all important concepts,
 conduct hypothesis tests, explain the procedure you use to conduct these
 tests and attempt to justify it.
 Discuss the predicted values from your model and evaluate how meaningful
 they are.
 Contrast the ideas of 
\begin_inset Quotes eld
\end_inset

substantive significance
\begin_inset Quotes erd
\end_inset

 and 
\begin_inset Quotes eld
\end_inset

statistical significance
\begin_inset Quotes erd
\end_inset

.
\end_layout

\begin_layout Section
Diagnostics
\end_layout

\begin_layout Standard
Look at the scatterplot (and whatever other plots you find useful) and discuss
 the possible mis-matches between the assumptions of the OLS approach and
 the data.
\end_layout

\begin_layout Section
Conclusion
\end_layout

\begin_layout Standard
If you were presented with the challenge of exploring the relationship between
 two variables, what are the strengths of OLS regression, and what are its
 weaknesses? What tools/concepts do you want that it does not offer?
\end_layout

\end_body
\end_document