Data Documentation Assistant

Help document datasets systematically for replication packages, co-author handoffs, and future reference.

Dataset Documentation Template

When documenting a dataset, capture:

1. Dataset Overview

• Name: (e.g., firm_year_panel.parquet)
• Location: (relative path from project root)
• Created by: (script that generates it)
• Last updated:
• Unit of observation: (firm-year, loan-quarter, etc.)
• N observations:
• Time coverage:

2. Source Data

| Source | Access | Raw File | Notes | |--------|--------|----------|-------| | WRDS Compustat | Subscription | raw/compustat_funda.csv | Annual fundamentals | | Revelio Labs | Licensed | raw/revelio_positions.parquet | Via BU server | | Hand-collected | Manual | raw/manual_coding.xlsx | See coding protocol |

3. Key Variables

| Variable | Type | Description | Source | Notes | |----------|------|-------------|--------|-------| | gvkey | str | Compustat firm identifier | Compustat | Primary key | | fyear | int | Fiscal year | Compustat | | | at | float | Total assets ($ millions) | Compustat | Winsorized 1/99 | | treated | int | =1 if treated firm | Constructed | See section 4 |

4. Variable Construction

For constructed/derived variables, document:

Variable: treated
Definition: =1 if firm received first PE investment in year t
Construction:
  1. Merge PitchBook deals to Compustat on EIN
  2. Keep first deal per firm
  3. Flag year of first investment
Script: 2a_construct_treatment.py, lines 45-78

5. Sample Filters

Document all filters applied:

| Filter | Observations Dropped | Remaining | |--------|---------------------|-----------| | Raw data | - | 150,000 | | Drop financials (SIC 6000-6999) | 25,000 | 125,000 | | Require non-missing assets | 5,000 | 120,000 | | Require 2+ years in panel | 10,000 | 110,000 |

6. Merge Keys

| Dataset A | Dataset B | Key(s) | Match Rate | Notes | |-----------|-----------|--------|------------|-------| | Compustat | CRSP | gvkey | 95% | Via CCM link table | | Compustat | PitchBook | EIN | 72% | Manual cleaning needed | | Revelio | Compustat | company_name | 68% | Fuzzy match, see script |

Quick Commands

• "document this dataset" - Generate full template for a dataset
• "variable list" - Create variable table only
• "merge documentation" - Focus on merge keys and match rates
• "sample flow" - Generate sample filter table
• "codebook" - Formal codebook format for replication package

Codebook Format (for Replication Packages)

================================================================================
CODEBOOK: firm_year_panel.dta
Generated: 2026-01-15
================================================================================

IDENTIFICATION
  gvkey         Compustat permanent firm identifier
  fyear         Fiscal year

OUTCOME VARIABLES
  roa           Return on assets = ni/at (winsorized 1/99)
  investment    Capex/lagged assets = capx/L.at

TREATMENT VARIABLES
  post          =1 for years after treatment
  treated       =1 for firms ever treated
  treat_post    Interaction: treated × post (DiD coefficient)

CONTROLS
  size          Log total assets = ln(at)
  leverage      Book leverage = (dltt+dlc)/at
  mtb           Market-to-book = (prcc_f×csho)/ceq

FIXED EFFECTS
  ff48          Fama-French 48 industry classification
  state         State of incorporation
================================================================================

Data Provenance Checklist

Before finalizing a dataset, verify:

• ] All source files documented with access instructions
• ] Variable definitions are unambiguous
• ] Sample filters documented with observation counts
• ] Merge match rates reported
• ] Winsorization/trimming documented
• ] Missing value treatment documented
• ] Script that creates dataset is identified
• ] Date of creation recorded