%0 Report
        %A Millimet, Daniel L.
        %T (Don't) Walk This Way: The Econometrics of Crosswalks
        %D 2024
        %8 2024 Jul
        %I Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        %C Bonn
        %7 IZA Discussion Paper
        %N 17154
        %U https://www.iza.org/publications/dp17154
        %X It is increasingly common in empirical research to merge data sets containing different units of observation. When the units are not nested, a crosswalk specifying how the units from one data source are allocated to the units of the other is needed. Unfortunately, most crosswalks are ad hoc, a fact that is often ignored by researchers and has not caught the attention of econometricians. Here, I show that use of an incorrect crosswalk induces measurement error that is necessarily nonclassical and can be consequential. I discuss and illustrate the ramifications of using a flawed crosswalk, present two specification tests, offer potential solutions, and provide an application to the effects of social media on political polarization.
        %K crosswalk
%K nonclassical measurement error
%K social media
%K polarization