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Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, and read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters. For media inquiries, please email us.

Disseminating Flood Warnings to Increase Disaster Preparedness in India

Maulik Jagnani
Researchers are conducting a randomized evaluation to test the impact of providing flood early warnings to rural households through smartphone alerts and community volunteers on their flood preparedness and responsiveness, as well as post-flood health and economic outcomes.

Mobile Phone-Based Extension Services and Agricultural Advice for Cotton Farmers in India

Researchers introduced a mobile phone-based agricultural extension service to evaluate its impact on knowledge and adoption of effective farming methods among cotton farmers in Gujarat, India. They found that the service was highly effective in nudging farmers to adopt a number of recommended...

The Impact of Teaching Teachers to Use Computer Assisted Learning on Student Math Performance in the United States

Researchers conducted two randomized evaluations to test the impact of coaching teachers on integrating CAL in their elementary and middle school mathematics instruction in two large, diverse school districts in the United States. The intervention led to improved math performance in one evaluation...

Changing Pedagogy to Improve Math Skills in Preschools in Peru

Mariana Alfonso
Emma Naslund-Hadley
In Peru, researchers evaluated the impact of a tailored inquiry- and problem-based learning approach on preschoolers’ performance in math. The program improved overall mathematics outcomes, which persisted for some content areas even one year after the program ended.

Impact of Watchdog Journalism on Public Service Provision in Tanzania

Dylan Groves
Researchers examined the impact of local watchdog journalism investigations on public service provision. Local journalism improved government performance and service delivery, likely by helping central governments monitor bureaucrats at the district-level.

Social Pressure and Voter Turnout in the United States

Christopher Larimer
To study the effect of increased social pressure on turnout, researchers sent households one of four randomly selected mailings eleven days before Michigan’s August 2006 primary election. All four mailings increased turnout, but informing households of their neighbors’ past voting records raised...

Voluntary Counseling and Testing to Reduce Risky Sexual Behaviors and Increase Schooling Investments in Malawi

Erick Gong
Berk Özler
Researchers introduced a Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing (VCT) program to young females in Malawi to determine whether the program affects risky sexual behavior and school performance. They found no overall effect of VCT on risk of sexually transmitted infections or achievement test scores...