Research

Current research

1. Weighted Adjustment Instrumental Variable EstimatorTomas Havranek, Pedro Bom, Petr Cala, Zuzana Irsova, Heiko RachingerSlides. Available as an experimental option in EasyMeta.
2. The Residual Discontinuity Test for p-HackingTomas Havranek, Zuzana Irsova, Pedro Bom, Heiko RachingerSlides. Available as an experimental option in EasyMeta.
3. Meta-Analysis of Field Studies on Beauty and Professional SuccessZuzana Irsova, Tomas Havranek, Kseniya Bortnikova, Frantisek BartosR&R · Nature Human Behaviour
4. Effect of Exercise on Cognition, Memory, and Executive Function: A Study-Level Meta-Meta-Analysis Across Populations and Exercise CategoriesFrantisek Bartos, Martina Luskova, Kseniya Bortnikova, Karolina Hozova, Klara Kantova, Zuzana Irsova, Tomas HavranekR&R · Sports Medicine
5. Do Methods Matter in the Meta-Analysis of Partial Correlation Coefficients?T. D. Stanley, Petr Cala, Hristos Doucouliagos, Zuzana Irsova, Tomas HavranekR&R · Research Synthesis Methods
6. The Elasticity of Substitution between Native and Immigrant Labor: A Meta-AnalysisKlara Kantova, Tomas Havranek, Zuzana Irsova, Jiri SchwarzR&R · Journal of Economic Surveys
7. What Matters in Explaining the Variation in Hedge Fund Performance?Fan Yang, Tomas Havranek, Zuzana Irsova, Jiri NovakR&R · International Review of Economics and Finance
8. The Power of Science: Statistical Power in Published Research Across Five DisciplinesYue Wang, Frantisek Bartos, Tom Coupe, Tomas Havranek, Sanghyun Hong, Zuzana Irsova, W. Robert ReedWorking paper
9. Do Decisions about Outliers and Influential Effects Matter? Evidence from 358 Behavioral Science Meta-AnalysesTomas Havranek, Zuzana Irsova, Martina Luskova, T. D. StanleyWorking paper
10. Does Multi-Agent Debate Improve AI Feedback on Research Papers?Tomas Havranek, Zuzana IrsovaWorking paper
11. Publication Bias and P-Hacking in the Effect of COVID-19 on LearningMartina Luskova, Nino Buliskeria, Ali Elminejad, Tomas Havranek, Zuzana Irsova, Stepan Jurajda, Marek KapickaWorking paper
12. Optimal Inflation Rate: A Meta-AnalysisMatej Opatrny, Martin Opatrny, Tomas Havranek, Zuzana Irsova, Mojmir HamplWorking paper
13. Price Elasticity of Electricity Demand: A Meta-AnalysisPeter Kudela, Tomas Havranek, Zuzana Irsova, Anna Kudelova, Vojtech SiklWorking paper
14. Trust, Rule of Law, and the Size Premium: Evidence from a Meta-AnalysisJiri Schwarz, Tomas Havranek, Zuzana Irsova, Jiri NovakWorking paper
15. Do Female Directors Raise ESG Ratings? A Meta-AnalysisKarolina Hozova, Tomas Havranek, Zuzana IrsovaWorking paper

Also in progress: attenuation versus publication bias (with John Ioannidis; pre-analysis plan), p-hacking versus publication bias (with Nino Buliskeria), external validity tests for meta-analysis (with Chishio Furukawa), spurious precision across fields (with Frantisek Bartos), and automatic replication of meta-analyses (with Petr Cala).

Selected publications

Full publication list · Scopus

Meta-research

1. Reproducibility and Robustness of Economics and Political Science Research2026 · Abel Brodeur and others (347 authors, including Zuzana Irsova)Nature 652, 151⁠–⁠156
2. Spurious Precision in Meta-Analysis of Observational Research2025 · Zuzana Irsova, Pedro Bom, Tomas Havranek, Heiko RachingerNature Communications 16, 8454MAIVE · first and corresponding author

Labor economics

1. Publication Bias and Model Uncertainty in Measuring the Effect of Class Size on Achievement2026 · Matej Opatrny, Tomas Havranek, Zuzana Irsova, Milan ScasnyJournal of Labor Economics, forthcoming
2. Publication and Attenuation Biases in Measuring Skill Substitution2024 · Tomas Havranek, Zuzana Irsova, Lubica Laslopova, Olesia ZeynalovaReview of Economics and Statistics 106(5), 1187⁠–⁠1200
3. Intertemporal Substitution in Labor Supply: A Meta-Analysis2023 · Ali Elminejad, Tomas Havranek, Roman Horvath, Zuzana IrsovaReview of Economic Dynamics 51, 1095⁠–⁠1113
4. Measuring Capital-Labor Substitution: The Importance of Method Choices and Publication Bias2022 · Sebastian Gechert, Tomas Havranek, Zuzana Irsova, Dominika KolcunovaReview of Economic Dynamics 45, 55⁠–⁠82

International economics

1. Estimating the Armington Elasticity: The Importance of Study Design and Publication Bias2020 · Josef Bajzik, Tomas Havranek, Zuzana Irsova, Jiri SchwarzJournal of International Economics 127, 103383
2. Do Borders Really Slash Trade? A Meta-Analysis2017 · Tomas Havranek, Zuzana IrsovaIMF Economic Review 65(2), 365⁠–⁠396
3. Cross-Country Heterogeneity in Intertemporal Substitution2015 · Tomas Havranek, Roman Horvath, Zuzana Irsova, Marek RusnakJournal of International Economics 96(1), 100⁠–⁠118
4. Estimating Vertical Spillovers from FDI: Why Results Vary and What the True Effect Is2011 · Tomas Havranek, Zuzana IrsovaJournal of International Economics 85(2), 234⁠–⁠244

Experimental and financial economics

1. Financial Incentives and Performance: A Meta-Analysis of Experiments in Economics2026 · Petr Cala, Tomas Havranek, Zuzana Irsova, Martina Luskova, Jindrich Matousek, Jiri NovakJournal of Political Economy Microeconomics, forthcoming
2. Individual Discount Rates: A Meta-Analysis of Experimental Evidence2022 · Jindrich Matousek, Tomas Havranek, Zuzana IrsovaExperimental Economics 25(1), 318⁠–⁠358
3. How Puzzling Is the Forward Premium Puzzle? A Meta-Analysis2021 · Diana Zigraiova, Tomas Havranek, Zuzana Irsova, Jiri NovakEuropean Economic Review 134, 103714

Tools

EasyMeta lets you run your own meta-analysis online. To stress-test a paper before referees do, use our MAD app: four AI models read it in different roles and cross-examine each other. For Claude Code, our paper-workshop has referees from rival traditions argue over the paper and then rebuild it. All our tools, including a pre-review for ERC proposals, are on one page.