% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
% Please edit documentation in R/sms.R
\name{mb_sms_rate}
\alias{mb_sms_rate}
\title{Score a study against the Maryland Scientific Methods Scale}
\usage{
mb_sms_rate(level, study, design = NULL, notes = NULL)
}
\arguments{
\item{level}{Integer in \code{1:5}. The Maryland SMS level.}

\item{study}{Character scalar. Reference for the study being
rated (citation, URL, internal ID).}

\item{design}{Optional character scalar. Brief description of
the design (e.g. \code{"Cluster RCT, 80 schools"}).}

\item{notes}{Optional character scalar. Additional notes on
methodological strengths and weaknesses.}
}
\value{
An \code{mb_sms_rating} object: a list capturing the level,
study, design, notes, the corresponding rubric row, and
\code{vintage}.
}
\description{
Records an evidence rating against the 1-5 Maryland SMS, the
What Works Network's standard for grading impact evidence.
}
\details{
The Maryland SMS, originally developed by Sherman et al. (1997)
for crime-prevention research, is the foundation for evidence
ratings used by the College of Policing What Works Centre,
the Education Endowment Foundation, the Early Intervention
Foundation, and others. The Magenta Book adopts SMS as its
default for grading impact evidence.

Level 1: cross-sectional or before-after with no comparison.
Level 2: before-after with a non-equivalent comparison group.
Level 3: well-matched comparison across multiple units.
Level 4: comparison adjusting for unobservables (DiD, RD, IV,
ITS, synthetic control).
Level 5: random assignment.

Provenance note: numeric levels 1-5 are direct from Sherman et
al. (1997). The word labels (Weakest / Weak / Moderate / Strong
/ Strongest) follow What Works UK / Education Endowment
Foundation convention and are not direct quotations from the
original report. The design-examples and typical-use columns of
the bundled rubric are magentabook synthesis, intended as a
practitioner reference rather than a verbatim reproduction.
}
\examples{
mb_sms_rate(
  level  = 5,
  study  = "Card & Krueger (1994) NJ minimum wage",
  design = "Difference-in-differences with PA comparison",
  notes  = "Large N, but contested measurement"
)
}
\references{
Sherman, L. W., Gottfredson, D. C., MacKenzie, D. L., Eck, J.,
Reuter, P., Bushway, S. (1997). Preventing Crime: What Works,
What Doesn't, What's Promising. Report to the US Congress.

HM Treasury (2020). The Magenta Book: Central Government
Guidance on Evaluation.
}
\seealso{
\code{\link[=mb_sms_explain]{mb_sms_explain()}}, \code{\link[=mb_confidence]{mb_confidence()}}.

Other Maryland SMS: 
\code{\link{mb_sms_explain}()}
}
\concept{Maryland SMS}
