ECON30500

In 2019 the Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer for “their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty". Their work has highlighted the importance of using field experiments to find solutions to some of the major issues facing society today.

This module focuses on the use of field experiments in the social sciences to identify the causal impact of policies/interventions/services to address questions such as How can we reduce socio-economic inequalities in children's skills? How can we reduce poverty? How can we reduce the obesity epidemic? How can we reduce discrimination in hiring decisions?

Field experiments, also known as randomised controlled trials (RCTs), are a type of study that uses random assignment of units— e.g., individuals, classrooms, communities—to implement programmes, allocate resources, or enact policies. RCTs are considered the “gold standard” for addressing causal questions, for example, they allow us to answer Did X cause Y?, rather than, Is there an association between X and Y? Over the last twenty years, there has been a major increase in the number, scope, and quality of field experiments in the social sciences, particularly in the disciplines of economics, political science, and sociology.

This module will provide you with a solid foundation in the design, implementation, and analysis of field experiments, including both theoretical and practical issues. You will deepen your knowledge on how to conduct a field experiment including design issues such as identifying and addressing implementation issues. You will also learn about why and when to conduct a field experiment and the key components of a well-designed experiment. Finally, you will also explore the challenges to conducting a field experiment, as well as the tools to address these challenges.

There will be a particular focus on my own field experiment, known as the Preparing for Life, which I have been running in Dublin for over a decade. Through the assignment, you will have the opportunity to design your own field experiment, which will allow you to apply the theoretical frameworks covered in the module to the practical application of a field experiment.

This module may be taken as part of a Structured Elective in Economics. This means that if you combine this module with at least 10 additional credits from other economics modules you will be awarded a ‘structured elective in economics’ on your transcript.