Comment: Strengthening Empirical Evaluation of Causal Inference Methods

Abstract

This is a contribution to the discussion of the paper by Dorie et al. (Statist. Sci. 34 (2019) 43–68), which reports the lessons learned from 2016 Atlantic Causal Inference Conference Competition. My comments strongly support the authors’ focus on empirical evaluation, using examples and experience from machine learning research, particularly focusing on the problem of algorithmic complexity. I argue that even broader and deeper empirical evaluation should be undertaken by the researchers who study causal inference. Finally, I highlight a few key conclusions that suggest where future research should focus.