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How the cases you choose affect the answers you get, revisited

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  • Gisselquist, Rachel M.

Abstract

External validity is a major challenge for experimental research. I offer a new perspective on this challenge, drawing on work on case studies and causal inference – the sort of material regularly covered in introductory methods courses in political science – to reflect on the use of experiments in the study of global development and poverty alleviation. I argue that single experiments in this area are often essentially single case studies. They can offer important insights, but generalizing from them suffers from the same (well-established) problems of generalizing from all single case studies – especially in the absence of theoretically-informed attention to the selection of experimental sites. One way experimentalists have sought to improve external validity is through replication. I suggest a more promising approach is to combine experiments with case study and comparative methods to link selection of experimental “cases” to theory.

Suggested Citation

  • Gisselquist, Rachel M., 2020. "How the cases you choose affect the answers you get, revisited," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:127:y:2020:i:c:s0305750x19304498
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104800
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    1. O’Brien, Diana Z. & Rickne, Johanna, 2016. "Gender Quotas and Women's Political Leadership," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 110(1), pages 112-126, February.
    2. Gisselquist Rachel M. & Niño-Zarazúa Miguel, 2015. "What Can Experiments Tell Us About How to Improve Government Performance?," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 6(1), pages 1-45, June.
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    4. Muhammad Farhan Majid & Su Jin Kang & Peter J Hotez, 2019. "Resolving "worm wars": An extended comparison review of findings from key economics and epidemiological studies," PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(3), pages 1-10, March.
    5. Raghabendra Chattopadhyay & Esther Duflo, 2004. "Women as Policy Makers: Evidence from a Randomized Policy Experiment in India," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 72(5), pages 1409-1443, September.
    6. Dehejia Rajeev, 2015. "Experimental and Non-Experimental Methods in Development Economics: A Porous Dialectic," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 6(1), pages 47-69, June.
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    1. Koppenberg, Maximilian & Mishra, Ashok K. & Hirsch, Stefan, 2023. "Food aid and violent conflict: A review and Empiricist’s companion," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    2. Koppenberg, Maximilian & Mishra, Ashok K. & Hirsch, Stefan, 2023. "Food Aid and Violent Conflict: A Review of Literature," IZA Discussion Papers 16574, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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