A Brief Guide to Decisions at Each Step of the Propensity Score Matching Process

Abstract

Propensity score matching techniques are becoming increasingly common as they afford applied practitioners the ability to account for systematic bias related to self-selection. However, "best practices" for implementing these techniques in applied settings is scattered throughout the literature. The current article aims to provide a brief overview of important considerations at each step of the propensity score matching process. Our hope is that this article will serve as a resource to assessment practitioners and augment previously published papers.