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In Pursuit Of Balance: Randomization In Practice In Development Field Experiments

2008; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1596/1813-9450-4752

Miriam Bruhn, David R. McKenzie,

Income, Poverty, and Inequality

No AccessPolicy Research Working Papers25 Jun 2013In Pursuit Of Balance: Randomization In Practice In Development Field ExperimentsAuthors/Editors: Miriam Bruhn, David McKenzieMiriam Bruhn, David McKenziehttps://doi.org/10.1596/1813-9450-4752SectionsAboutPDF (0.5 MB) ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareFacebookTwitterLinked In Abstract:Randomized experiments are increasingly used in development economics, with researchers now facing the question of not just whether to randomize, but how to do so. Pure random assignment guarantees that the treatment and control groups will have identical characteristics on average, but in any particular random allocation, the two groups will differ along some dimensions. Methods used to pursue greater balance include stratification, pair-wise matching, and re-randomization. This paper presents new evidence on the randomization methods used in existing randomized experiments, and carries out simulations in order to provide guidance for researchers. Three main results emerge. First, many researchers are not controlling for the method of randomization in their analysis. The authors show this leads to tests with incorrect size, and can result in lower power than if a pure random draw was used. Second, they find that in samples of 300 or more, the different randomization methods perform similarly in terms of achieving balance on many future outcomes of interest. However, for very persistent outcome variables and in smaller sample sizes, pair-wise matching and stratification perform best. Third, the analysis suggests that on balance the re-randomization methods common in practice are less desirable than other methods, such as matching. Previous bookNext book FiguresreferencesRecommendeddetailsCited byReturns to Schooling in Thailand: Evidence from the 1978 Compulsory Schooling LawThe Developing Economies, Vol.61, No.128 December 2022Does the Running Variable Matter? A Second Look at Discontinuity Designs for Evaluating Regional Economic Development and Business Incentive PoliciesEvaluation Review, Vol.46, No.512 March 2022Community Currencies as Crisis Response: Results From a Randomized Control Trial in KenyaFrontiers in Blockchain, Vol.43 January 2022Mine, Yours or Ours? The Efficiency of Household Investment Decisions: An Experimental ApproachThe World Bank Economic Review, Vol.34, No.329 January 2020The Impact of Degree Duration on Higher Education Participation: Evidence from a Large-scale Natural ExperimentOxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Vol.80, No.520 January 2018The Review of Economic Studies, Vol.85, No.3Prevalence of anaemia, deficiencies of iron and vitamin A and their determinants in rural women and young children: a cross-sectional study in Kalalé district of northern BeninPublic Health Nutrition, Vol.20, No.725 January 2017PLOS ONE, Vol.12, No.11How would information disclosure influence organizations' outbound spam volume? Evidence from a field experimentJournal of Cybersecurity, Vol.2, No.126 December 2016Solar-Powered Drip Irrigation Impacts on Crops Production Diversity and Dietary Diversity in Northern BeninFood and Nutrition Bulletin, Vol.37, No.223 March 2016Field Experiments in MarketingSSRN Electronic JournalInternalizing, externalizing and attention problems in dyslexiaScandinavian Journal of Disability Research, Vol.16, No.27 May 2013Read Alert: The Effects of eBooks on Reading Outcomes: Evidence from a Randomized Trial in BostonSSRN Electronic JournalThe Power of Evidence: Improving the Effectiveness of Government by Investing in More Rigorous EvaluationNational Institute Economic Review, Vol.21926 March 2020Early commitment on financial aid and college decision making of poor students: Evidence from a randomized evaluation in rural ChinaEconomics of Education Review, Vol.30, No.4The short-term impacts of a schooling conditional cash transfer program on the sexual behavior of young womenHealth Economics, Vol.19, No.S114 December 2010Solar-powered drip irrigation enhances food security in the Sudano–SahelProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol.107, No.514 January 2010Experimental Evidence on Returns to Capital and Access to Finance in MexicoWorld Bank Economic Review, Vol.22, No.326 November 2012 View Published: November 2008 Copyright & Permissions Related TopicsEducationMacroeconomics and Economic GrowthScience and Technology Development KeywordsMINIMIZATIONPRECISIONPROBABILITYRANDOMIZATIONSAMPLE SIZESCIENTISTSSTANDARD ERRORSSTATASTATA CODESTATISTICAL ANALYSIS PDF DownloadLoading ...