<p>I find &quot;horizontal axis&quot; better than x-axis, because it does not use the name of a potential variable.</p>
<p>However, I think your whole sentence focuses to much on what we see, and not on the actual phenomenon/statistics. I will try to get the impression across by exaggerating it: <br>
&quot;Once the squiggly line turns blue, it usually stays below the horizontal line.&quot; <br>
This is true, but perhaps you will agree that it does not sound very informative.</p>
<p>You could write that R% of the observations preceeding the event have larger than 0 causal effect while B% of the observations succeeding the event have larger than 0 causal effect. This way the reader can tell whether the change in the below zero ratio is large.</p>
<p>However, the above still does not say anything about statistical significance. I would guess that depending on the exact methodology/hypothesis one could find better statistics than just these ratios.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-29T04:37:04.613Z
Thank a heap, yes, I draw a conclusion for the graph based on the statistical result. It is just an additional material to support my main result.
Nguyen Lis
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-29T04:38:14.113Z
And actually, in this case, I am comparing the blue dots with horizontal line =0 (x-axis)
Nguyen Lis
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-29T04:32:16.223Z
2021-09-29T04:32:16.223Z
Giskard
<p>What words should we normally use for x-axis in a economic or finance research paper? For example, in this case (I draw the graph from my own reseach)</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/x98QW.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/x98QW.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>In my case, I use:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>That blue dots mainly lie under <strong>the x-axis</strong> implies the decrease in y variable after the event date where the parallel
trend assumption is satisfied.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I am wondering if there is any word commonly-used in economic or finance research paper standing for &quot;x-axis&quot; or &quot;x-axis&quot; is already okay to be used?</p>
<p>When saying &quot;x-axis&quot;, I mean y=0</p>

<nonexpert>
What words should we normally use for x-axis in a economic or finance research paper?
Nguyen Lis
# What words should we normally use for x-axis in a economic or finance research paper?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-09-29)

What words should we normally use for x-axis in a economic or finance research paper? For example, in this case (I draw the graph from my own reseach)

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/x98QW.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/x98QW.png)

In my case, I use:

> That blue dots mainly lie under **the x-axis** implies the decrease in y variable after the event date where the parallel
> trend assumption is satisfied.

I am wondering if there is any word commonly-used in economic or finance research paper standing for "x-axis" or "x-axis" is already okay to be used?

When saying "x-axis", I mean y=0

**Tags:** nonexpert

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-09-29. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

I find "horizontal axis" better than x-axis, because it does not use the name of a potential variable.

However, I think your whole sentence focuses to much on what we see, and not on the actual phenomenon/statistics. I will try to get the impression across by exaggerating it:   
"Once the squiggly line turns blue, it usually stays below the horizontal line."   
This is true, but perhaps you will agree that it does not sound very informative.

You could write that R% of the observations preceeding the event have larger than 0 causal effect while B% of the observations succeeding the event have larger than 0 causal effect. This way the reader can tell whether the change in the below zero ratio is large.

However, the above still does not say anything about statistical significance. I would guess that depending on the exact methodology/hypothesis one could find better statistics than just these ratios.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank a heap, yes, I draw a conclusion for the graph based on the statistical result. It is just an additional material to support my main result.  
> **username_0**: And actually, in this case, I am comparing the blue dots with horizontal line =0 (x-axis)  

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