Your first analysis

Before you begin

You need an invited DiD-Acto account, access to a compatible MCP client, and either a shared sample or a study dataset. An administrator provides the initial account details. Ask your administrator for an invitation or password reset.

1. Sign in and change your password

Open the workspace portal and select Sign in. Use your dedicated DiD-Acto account, not your Google or Microsoft password. New users must change their initial password. Administrators must also enroll an authenticator.

After signing in, the Change password link starts the password-change flow. You may be asked to reauthenticate. If you cannot sign in or have lost your password, contact a service administrator.

2. Connect an assistant

Use the MCP endpoint https://prolug.asuscomm.com/mcp. The connection guide includes the client identifiers and Codex commands. Signing in to the portal does not automatically authenticate your MCP client; complete its own sign-in flow.

3. Start with a shared sample

In the portal, find a dataset in the shared samples library and copy its reference. Tell your assistant which sample to use. Shared files are read-only; your analysis records belong to your private workspace.

Try the rent-control sample used in our worked report. It includes a complete practice dataset, a fitted estimate and a step-by-step interpretation. The dataset is simulated for learning.

4. Inspect, then approve a plan

Ask the assistant to register and inspect the sample. Confirm the meaning of the columns and the intended effect. Review the assumptions, comparison, outcome scale and analysis purpose before approving the plan.

A quick exploratory profile is a useful first pass. Ask which checks it includes and what further work a confirmatory study would require before choosing that purpose.

5. Retrieve and understand the result

After the approved run, ask for the saved result and a report. If the job is queued or running, use the existing run identifier to check status. In the portal, select Refresh library to see saved analyses and available report downloads.

Open the report to review the effect, units, uncertainty and diagnostics. Ask the assistant for a short summary that explains the finding and the most useful next step.

Your first-run checklist

• I know which dataset and outcome were used.
• I reviewed the treatment and comparison definitions.
• I approved the actual analysis plan before the run.
• I saved the run identifier and report.
• I can explain the uncertainty and the main limitation.