A field experiment applies the scientific method to experimentally examine an intervention in the real world (or as many experimentalists like to say, naturally occurring environments) rather than in the laboratory. Field experiments, like lab experiments, generally randomize subjects (or other sampling units) into treatment and control groups and compare outcomes between these groups.
Examples include:
- Clinical trials of pharmaceuticals are one example of field experiments.
- Economists have used field experiments to analyze discrimination, health care programs, charitable fundraising, education, information aggregation in markets, and microfinance programs.
- Engineers often conduct field tests of prototype products to validate earlier laboratory tests and to obtain broader feedback.
Read more about Field Experiment: History, Field Experiments in International Development Research, Caveats
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