Blog

News

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

A circle of people sitting in chairs face a man sitting on a chair in front of them

Strengthening randomized evaluations through incorporating qualitative research, Part 1

J-PAL North America reflects on using qualitative research methods in randomized evaluations, and summarize a few practical tips for those interested in integrating a qualitative approach into their studies.
Covid-19 vaccine and child sitting in background

Strengthening immunization demand and delivery: Lessons from existing evidence

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions to routine vaccination services around the world. In a new evidence note, the J-PAL Health sector team provides an overview of policy lessons stemming from economic research on improving immunization coverage.
A group of six people sit around a table with laptops, looking forward

Better policies to support entrepreneurs and create more jobs: A new focus on adaptation and scale

J-PAL’s Jobs and Opportunity Initiative (JOI) is expanding its scope to test promising strategies to help meet the jobs challenge through entrepreneurship and firm growth.
Adam Osman presents in front of a J-PAL MENA banner

Affiliate Spotlight: Adam Osman

Adam Osman is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Co-Scientific Director at J-PAL Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Adam’s work using randomized evaluations to test theories about improving the lives of the poor serves to fill the gap in...
A man stands in front of a projector screen, speaking to a seated audience looking at the screen.

Nurturing the next generation of Indonesian development economists

J-PAL Southeast Asia is building a cadre of local researchers and policy practitioners in development economics and strengthening the use of rigorous evidence in policymaking.
Samantha Carter stands in front of a projector screen, looking into the audience with one hand raised

Samantha Carter, J-PAL ‘20, on bringing innovative ideas to life

By
As a former senior policy associate at J-PAL Global, Samantha Carter played a leading role in managing J-PAL’s government scale-up initiative and the finance sector within the policy team. Now a research and operations manager at Precision Development (PxD), she works to take innovative ideas out of...
Headshot of Juliette Seban

Juliette Seban, J-PAL ’12, on driving forward development innovation at France’s FID

By
As a former research manager at J-PAL Europe, Juliette Seban managed several randomized evaluations while pursuing a PhD in development economics. Juliette is now the executive director of France’s new Fund for Innovation in Development (FID). She reflects on her PhD experience, her work at J-PAL...
Two men, one wearing a lab coat, sit together and chat

Beyond causality: Additional benefits of RCTs for improving health care delivery

J-PAL affiliates Marcella Alsan and Amy Finkelstein highlight four key benefits of randomized evaluations that are useful for addressing pressing health policy questions, drawing from their recent Milbank Quarterly article.