Failing in the Field: What We Can Learn When Field Research Goes Wrong

A revealing look at the common causes of failures in randomized control experiments during field reseach—and how to avoid them

All across the social sciences, from development economics to political science departments, researchers are going into the field to collect data and learn about the world. While much has been gained from the successes of randomized controlled trials, stories of failed projects often do not get told. In Failing in the Field, Dean Karlan and Jacob Appel delve into the...