What Is Causal Inference?

Causal inference lies at the heart of our ability to understand why things happen by helping us predict the results of our actions. This process is vital for businesses that aspire to turn data and information into valuable knowledge. With this report, data scientists and analysts will learn a principled way of thinking about causality, using a suite of causal inference techniques now available.

Authors Hugo Bowne-Anderson, a data science consultant, and Mike Loukides, vice president of content strategy at O'Reilly Media, introduce causality and discuss randomized control trials (RCTs), key aspects of causal graph theory, and much-needed techniques from econometrics.

You'll explore:

• Techniques from econometrics, including randomized control trials, the causality gold standard used in A/B-testing
• The constant-effects model for dealing with all things not being equal across the groups you're comparing
• Regression for dealing with confounding variables and selection bias
• Instrumental variables to estimate causal relationships in situations where regression won't work
• Techniques from causal graph theory including forks and colliders, the graphical tools for representing common causal patterns
• Backdoor and front-door adjustments for making causal inferences in the presence of confounders