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News, ideas, and analysis from J-PAL staff and affiliated professors. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly email updates.

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Documenting systemic patterns of employment discrimination in the United States

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Researchers recently released results from a J-PAL North America funded study that documents systemic patterns of employment discrimination within large companies in the United States. In an interview with J-PAL staff, the research team shares reflections on their study, including how the randomized...
Map showing the Western Balkans

How can insights from rigorous evidence inform policymaking in the Western Balkans?

This post highlights how rigorous impact evaluations can contribute to this broader reflection, including by examining interventions from neighboring countries outside the region facing similar challenges, such as migrant and refugee inclusion in Bulgaria and Turkey.
A person stands writing at a blackboard

Summer school with J-PAL Europe: Developing skills for building, testing and scaling innovations for development

In July 2021, J-PAL Europe, in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), hosted a seven-day summer school under the theme of “Innovations for Development,'' designed around the recent launch of France’s Fund for Innovation in Development (FID).
Close-up shot of the US Department of Treasure columns and roof

Promoting evidence and evaluation in the American Rescue Plan Act

Rohit Naimpally (Senior Research and Policy Manager, J-PAL North America) spoke on a US Department of Treasury technical assistance webinar in August. We reflect on key takeaways from the panel about evaluation, evidence-based interventions, and the American Rescue Plan Act.
students attending Breakthrough's gender sensitization in-classroom discussions

Gender inequality: What really needs to change?

In an op-ed for the India Development Review, J-PAL SA's Anna Rego and Shagun Sabarwal argue that policies and programs must change restrictive gender norms in order to meaningfully impact the lives of women and girls.
Two nurses help a patient in bed

Strengthening randomized evaluations with qualitative research, part 4: Oregon health insurance experiment

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For the final part of our blog series on incorporating qualitative research into randomized evaluations, we spoke with Associate Professor of Social Work and co-author of the Oregon Health Insurance experiment, Heidi Allen, about how in-depth interviews with study participants helped the research...
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Strengthening randomized evaluations with qualitative research, Part 3: Creating moves to opportunity

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In part three of our qualitative research blog series on incorporating qualitative research into randomized evaluations, we learn more about how researchers conducting the Creating Moves to Opportunity (CMTO) project embedded qualitative research methods into their study and what factors made...
A Black doctor takes the blood pressure of a seated Black man

Strengthening randomized evaluations with qualitative research, part 2: Matching provider race to increase take-up of preventive health services

For the second blog in our blog series on incorporating qualitative research into randomized evaluations, we spoke with US Health Care Delivery Initiative Co-Chair Marcella Alsan about her research team’s experience using qualitative research methods in the scoping and analysis phases of their...