Boruch untangles the complexities of randomized field experiments, exploring the criteria for deciding whether a programme has worked or not, standards used to judge the ethcial propriety of the experiments and baseline measures.

A comprehensive guide to running randomized impact evaluations of social programs in developing countries This book provides a comprehensive yet accessible guide to running randomized impact evaluations of social programs. Drawing on the experience of researchers at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, which has run hundreds of such evaluations in dozens of countries throughout the world, it offers practical insights on how to use this powerful technique, especially in resource-poor environments. This step-by-step guide explains why and when randomized evaluations are useful, in what situations they should be used, and how to prioritize different evaluation opportunities. It shows how to design and analyze studies that answer important questions while respecting the constraints of those working on and benefiting from the program being evaluated. The book gives concrete tips on issues such as improving the quality of a study despite tight budget constraints, and demonstrates how the results of randomized impact evaluations can inform policy. With its self-contained modules, this one-of-a-kind guide is easy to navigate. It also includes invaluable references and a checklist of the common pitfalls to avoid. Provides the most up-to-date guide to running randomized evaluations of social programs, especially in developing countries Offers practical tips on how to complete high-quality studies in even the most challenging environments Self-contained modules allow for easy reference and flexible teaching and learning Comprehensive yet nontechnical

The Encyclopedia of RESEARCH METHODS IN CRIMINOLOGY & CRIMINAL JUSTICE The most comprehensive reference work on research designs and methods in criminology and criminal justice This Encyclopedia of Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice offers a comprehensive survey of research methodologies and statistical techniques that are popular in criminology and criminal justice systems across the globe. With contributions from leading scholars and practitioners in the field, it offers a clear insight into the techniques that are currently in use to answer the pressing questions in criminology and criminal justice. The Encyclopedia contains essential information from a diverse pool of authors about research designs grounded in both qualitative and quantitative approaches. It includes information on popular datasets and leading resources of government statistics. In addition, the contributors cover a wide range of topics such as: the most current research on the link between guns and crime, rational choice theory, and the use of technology like geospatial mapping as a crime reduction tool. This invaluable reference work: Offers a comprehensive survey of international research designs, methods, and statistical techniques Includes contributions from leading figures in the field Contains data on criminology and criminal justice from Cambridge to Chicago Presents information on capital punishment, domestic violence, crime science, and much more Helps us to better understand, explain, and prevent crime Written for undergraduate students, graduate students, and researchers, The Encyclopedia of Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice is the first reference work of its kind to offer a comprehensive review of this important topic.

This text provides a conceptual systematization and a practical tool for the randomization of between-subjects and within-subjects experimental designs.

The concepts of cause and effect are critical to the field of program evaluation. Experimentally-designed evaluations—those that randomize to treatment and control groups—offer a convincing means for establishing a causal connection between a program and its effects. Experimental Evaluation Design for Program Improvement considers a range of impact evaluation questions, particularly those questions that focus on the impact of specific aspects of a program. Laura R. Peck shows how a variety of experimental evaluation design options can provide answers to these questions, and she suggests opportunities for experiments to be applied in more varied settings and focused on program improvement efforts.

Providing a comprehensive foundation for planning, executing, and monitoring public health research of all types, this book goes beyond traditional epidemiologic research designs to cover technology-based approaches emerging in the new public health landscape.

"Comprising more than 500 entries, the Encyclopedia of Research Design explains how to make decisions about research design, undertake research projects in an ethical manner, interpret and draw valid inferences from data, and evaluate experiment design strategies and results. Two additional features carry this encyclopedia far above other works in the field: bibliographic entries devoted to significant articles in the history of research design and reviews of contemporary tools, such as software and statistical procedures, used to analyze results. It covers the spectrum of research design strategies, from material presented in introductory classes to topics necessary in graduate research; it addresses cross- and multidisciplinary research needs, with many examples drawn from the social and behavioral sciences, neurosciences, and biomedical and life sciences; it provides summaries of advantages and disadvantages of often-used strategies; and it uses hundreds of sample tables, figures, and equations based on real-life cases."--Publisher's description.

Praise for the First Edition “All medical statisticians involved in clinical trials should read this book...” - Controlled Clinical Trials Featuring a unique combination of the applied aspects of randomization in clinical trials with a nonparametric approach to inference, Randomization in Clinical Trials: Theory and Practice, Second Edition is the go-to guide for biostatisticians and pharmaceutical industry statisticians. Randomization in Clinical Trials: Theory and Practice, Second Edition features: Discussions on current philosophies, controversies, and new developments in the increasingly important role of randomization techniques in clinical trials A new chapter on covariate-adaptive randomization, including minimization techniques and inference New developments in restricted randomization and an increased focus on computation of randomization tests as opposed to the asymptotic theory of randomization tests Plenty of problem sets, theoretical exercises, and short computer simulations using SAS® to facilitate classroom teaching, simplify the mathematics, and ease readers’ understanding Randomization in Clinical Trials: Theory and Practice, Second Edition is an excellent reference for researchers as well as applied statisticians and biostatisticians. The Second Edition is also an ideal textbook for upper-undergraduate and graduate-level courses in biostatistics and applied statistics. William F. Rosenberger, PhD, is University Professor and Chairman of the Department of Statistics at George Mason University. He is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, and author of over 80 refereed journal articles, as well as The Theory of Response-Adaptive Randomization in Clinical Trials, also published by Wiley. John M. Lachin, ScD, is Research Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics as well as in the Department of Statistics at The George Washington University. A Fellow of the American Statistical Association and the Society for Clinical Trials, Dr. Lachin is actively involved in coordinating center activities for clinical trials of diabetes. He is the author of Biostatistical Methods: The Assessment of Relative Risks, Second Edition, also published by Wiley.

Field experiments -- randomized controlled trials -- have become ever more popular in political science, as well as in other disciplines, such as economics, social policy and development. Policy-makers have also increasingly used randomization to evaluate public policies, designing trials of tax reminders, welfare policies and international aid programs to name just a few of the interventions tested in this way. Field experiments have become successful because they assess causal claims in ways that other methods of evaluation find hard to emulate. Social scientists and evaluators have rediscovered how to design and analyze field experiments, but they have paid much less attention to the challenges of organizing and managing them. Field experiments pose unique challenges and opportunities for the researcher and evaluator which come from working in the field. The research experience can be challenging and at times hard to predict. This book aims to help researchers and evaluators plan and manage their field experiments so they can avoid common pitfalls. It is also intended to open up discussion about the context and backdrop to trials so that these practical aspects of field experiments are better understood. The book sets out ten steps researchers can use to plan their field experiments, then nine threats to watch out for when they implement them. There are cases studies of voting and political participation, elites, welfare and employment, nudging citizens, and developing countries.

This open access book, published under a CC BY 4.0 license in the Pubmed indexed book series Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, provides up-to-date information on best practice to improve experimental design and quality of research in non-clinical pharmacology and biomedicine.