# Association and causal inference: questions and assumptions

Decision workbook and teaching example · 2026-10-06

The completed case is fictional. Its values and decisions are not actual findings; complete your project using relevant permissions, methods and requirements.

- Project: ____________________
- Researcher and role: ____________________
- Date and version: ____________________
- Data seen before the decision: ____________________
- Aim and scope: ____________________

## Completed example

| Stage/decision | Example | Check or action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Target | Effect of a defined intervention | Distinct from descriptive association? |
| Timing | Prior motivation and later outcome | Is temporal order credible? |
| Adjustment | Confounders under a causal model | Are mediators/colliders handled deliberately? |
| Coverage | Comparable groups | Are overlap and selection assessed? |
| Sensitivity | Unmeasured confounding | Are claims explicitly limited? |

## Complete your own record

| Topic | Actual decision and reason | Evidence link and status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Target | __________ | __________ |
| Timing | __________ | __________ |
| Adjustment | __________ | __________ |
| Coverage | __________ | __________ |
| Sensitivity | __________ | __________ |

## Completion checks

- [ ] Document the estimand, causal assumptions and adjustment rationale.

## Changes and limitations

| Date | Change | Data known at decision time | Reason | Consequence for claim | Reviewer |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| __________ | __________ | __________ | __________ | __________ | __________ |

## Sources and further reading

- [Hernán & Robins — Causal Inference: What If (author-hosted book, 2024 version)](https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/miguel-hernan/wp-content/uploads/sites/1268/2024/04/hernanrobins_WhatIf_26apr24.pdf)
- [CASP — Critical appraisal checklists](https://casp-uk.net/casp-tools-checklists/)

Related guide: https://didgar-research-site1.vercel.app/en/guides/causal-inference/