Rje Replication And Data Policy

---
name: rje-replication-and-data-policy
description: Use to assemble a reproducible replication package for a RAND Journal of Economics (RJE) industrial-organization manuscript and to handle RJE's supporting-information rules correctly — the journal discourages supplementary material and does not host data/code itself. Reflects what is and is NOT confirmed in RJE policy.
---

# Replication & Data Policy (rje-replication-and-data-policy)

## When to trigger

- Preparing data and code for an RJE submission or revision
- Deciding what (if anything) to attach as supporting information
- Confirming what RJE's data/code policy actually requires

## What RJE policy actually says (verified 2026-06-01)

Be precise, because RJE's posture differs from data-mandate journals:

- **No formal data/code-deposit (replication-package) requirement was located on any official RJE page.** The supplementary-material page (rje.org/sup-mat.html) addresses only **author-hosted supporting files**, not a mandated replication archive or Data Availability Statement. Treat a formal mandate as **unspecified — 待核实**; re-check the Wiley author guidelines and rje.org before relying on either presence or absence.
- **Supporting information is discouraged "as a general rule."** When provided, it is **hosted via author-maintained links (1999–2007) or through Wiley (2007–present)** — the journal **does not host materials directly** — is **posted online without editing or typesetting**, may be **assessed critically by reviewers**, and **may be declined**.

So: there is no openICPSR-style deposit step to plan for here (unlike AEA journals or the QJE Dataverse), but reproducibility still matters to referees, and anything you do attach is governed by the discouraging supporting-information rule.

## What to do anyway (IO reproducibility norms)

Build a clean package even absent a mandate — IO referees probe replicability of structural estimates:

- **One master script** (`run_all`) regenerating every table, figure, and counterfactual from the analysis data. Structural estimation is slow — cache intermediate objects, document expected runtime, and store converged parameter estimates.
- **Pin the environment:** record Stata `ssc`/`net` package versions, `requirements.txt` (`pyblp`, `linearmodels`), or `renv.lock`; report solver/optimizer settings and **random seeds / starting values** for non-convex objectives.
- **Document restricted data** (Nielsen/Kilts, FSRDC Census, CMS, proprietary firm data): describe access, provide construction code, and note what cannot be shared.
- **README** mapping each exhibit to the script and inputs that produce it.

## Handling supporting information (RJE-specific)

- Keep core results in the **article and appendix** (within the <=10-page appendix+references budget); do **not** park decisive results in supporting information the journal discourages and may decline.
- If you must include supporting files, **justify them**, expect they appear unedited/untypeset, and host per current Wiley practice.

## Anti-patterns

- Assuming an AER/QJE-style mandatory deposit exists at RJE (none confirmed — 待核实)
- Dumping core estimates into discouraged, possibly-declined supporting information
- An unreproducible structural pipeline with unrecorded seeds/starting values
- Promising to share restricted data you are not licensed to release

## Output format

```
【RJE mandate】formal deposit required? NOT confirmed (待核实) — verify on rje.org/Wiley
【Master script】run_all regenerates all exhibits + counterfactuals? [Y/N]
【Environment pinned】versions + seeds + starting values recorded? [Y/N]
【Restricted data】access + construction documented? [Y/N]
【Supporting info】minimal + justified (discouraged by RJE)? [Y/N]
【Next step】rje-submission
```