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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.

Demand for Nontraditional Cookstoves in Bangladesh

Robert Bailis
Puneet Dwivedi
Lynn Hildemann
In Bangladesh, researchers evaluated how varying husband-wife dynamics, information, and prices could affect purchases of widely available “improved” stoves, which substantially reduce indoor air pollution. They found that women have stronger preferences for improved stoves than their husbands, but...

Laser-Branding Technologies to Increase the Quality of Watermelons in Chinese Markets

Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of different types of labels to signal product quality on sellers’ ability to develop a reputation for consistently selling high-quality watermelons in China. The more expensive laser-cut label influenced sellers to provide higher...

Training and Capital for Microentrepreneurs in Chile

Claudia Martinez
Esteban Puentes
Jaime Ruiz-Tagle
Researchers partnered with the Chilean Ministry of Social Development to evaluate a micro-entrepreneur training and cash transfer program in Chile. They examined the effects of business training and cash transfers on individual employment and income. The program increased total employment, income...

Impact of School Leadership Training on Management Practices and Student Learning in India

Lee Crawfurd
In this randomized evaluation, researchers will test the impact of a large-scale leadership training program in India on improving school management practices and student learning. The intervention is ongoing, and results are forthcoming.

Testing for Peer Screening and Enforcement in Microlending: Evidence from South Africa

In South Africa, researchers evaluated whether people have enough information to identify reliable borrowers among their peers and if they can help enforce loan repayment. They found that when given incentives, peers were not effective at screening for creditworthiness, but they were effective at...

Using Microcredit and Family Planning Services to Increase Contraceptive Use in Ethiopia

Jaikishan Desai
In Ethiopia, researchers tested whether linking microcredit and family planning services could increase contraceptive use more than either program in isolation. Neither the linked program nor the isolated programs had any detectable impact on contraceptive awareness, use, or intention to use.

Increasing Access to Infrastructure and Property Values through Urban Investment in Mexico

Tito Alegria
Gerardo Ordoñez
Daniel Rogger
Luis Sanchez-Bayardo
René Zenteno
Researchers evaluated the impacts of a $68 million infrastructure investment program in Mexico on urban residents’ access to infrastructure, property values, private investment, moving rates, and community cohesion. The study found that access to infrastructure and property values improved in...