Does LaTeX enhance perceptions of research quality in economics?

We conducted two online survey experiments examining how writing style influences economists’ perceptions of research quality. Participants were randomly assigned to evaluate manuscript cover pages that varied by document editor (Microsoft Word versus LaTeX) and the presence of a spelling or grammar error. In the original experiment, conducted among U.S. economists, spelling and grammar errors significantly reduced perceived research quality, whereas document editor had little effect. In a follow-up experiment, conducted among an international sample of economists, LaTeX use was substantially more common, and manuscripts prepared in LaTeX were generally evaluated more favorably than those prepared in Microsoft Word. Taken together, our findings suggest that careful proofreading and preparing manuscripts in LaTeX are prudent best practices. Depending on the reader, both may improve perceptions of research quality while carrying little or no downside risk.