# Research Ideation

Generate research questions from economic phenomena

- Repository: https://github.com/brycewang-stanford/Auto-Empirical-Research-Skills (4869 stars)
- Category: Writing
- License: see repository
- Last updated: 2026-10-30
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Auto-Empirical-Research-Skills --skill research-ideation -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Auto-Empirical-Research-Skills --skill research-ideation -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Auto-Empirical-Research-Skills --skill research-ideation -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Auto-Empirical-Research-Skills --skill research-ideation -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add brycewang-stanford/Auto-Empirical-Research-Skills`

## Description

Generate research questions from economic phenomena

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Research Ideation

## Purpose

This skill helps economists generate and refine research questions by applying economic thinking frameworks. It guides the process from observing phenomena to formulating testable hypotheses.

## When to Use

- Starting a new research project
- Brainstorming dissertation topics
- Finding angles for policy analysis
- Developing extensions of existing work

## Instructions

### Step 1: Understand the Starting Point

Ask the user:
1. Do you have a phenomenon, puzzle, or data source in mind?
2. What field/subfield of economics?
3. What's your methodological preference? (Theory, empirical, structural)
4. Any constraints? (Data access, timeline, etc.)

### Step 2: Apply Ideation Frameworks

Use these approaches:

**1. The Puzzle Approach**
- What's surprising about current patterns?
- What contradicts conventional economic wisdom?
- Where do standard models fail?

**2. The Policy Approach**
- What policies lack rigorous evaluation?
- What natural experiments remain unexploited?
- What interventions might solve important problems?

**3. The Data Approach**
- What new data sources have become available?
- What can existing data tell us that hasn't been explored?
- What linkages between datasets are possible?

**4. The Extension Approach**
- How can seminal papers be extended?
- What mechanisms remain unexplored?
- Can methods from one field apply to another?

### Step 3: Evaluate and Refine

For each idea, assess:
- **Feasibility**: Can this be done with available data/methods?
- **Contribution**: What's new here?
- **Interest**: Who cares about this question?
- **Identification**: Can effects be credibly estimated?

## Example Interaction

**User Query:** "I'm interested in labor economics and have access to LinkedIn data"

**Generated Response:**

## Research Ideas: LinkedIn Data × Labor Economics

### 1. Network Effects in Job Search
**Question:** How do professional networks affect job transitions and wage changes?

The rest: https://github.com/brycewang-stanford/Auto-Empirical-Research-Skills/blob/HEAD/skills/09-meleantonio-awesome-econ-ai-stuff/_skills/ideation/research-ideation/SKILL.md