Cheaper, faster randomized evaluations
Hospitals, governments, school systems, and many other institutions gather a wealth of data on individuals for operational purposes. MIT-based J-PAL North America recently launched a catalog of administrative datasets to provide researchers with clear information on data access and content, including costs and indicators. Together with J-PAL North America’s guide to using administrative data for randomized evaluations, this public catalog will support researchers in carrying out high-quality evaluations. When equipped with safeguards for privacy, access to administrative data has the potential to reduce research costs, create opportunities for long-term follow-up on intervention impacts, and improve the accuracy of research. As J-PAL North America Executive Director Quentin Palfrey notes in a recent op-ed, access to administrative data can be transformational for researchers looking to conduct policy-relevant studies on key challenges in reducing poverty. The catalog, which currently features 16 entries, includes datasets related to consumption, criminal justice, education, employment, and health care. This...