Reflections on the 2019 Nobel Memorial Prize Awarded to Banerjee, Duflo, and Kremer

Inside Barefoot Economics

“…However, the methodological dominance of RCT-based research has also attracted criticism (e.g. Mookherjee 2005;Rodrik 2009;Deaton 2010;Labrousse 2016a;Stevano 2020;Lisciandra 2020). Specifically, RCTs have been criticised for methodological and ethical aspects, as well as from a philosophy of science perspective (ibid).…”

“…From a methodological perspective, the RCT method has been criticised for its inability to examine small populations in a statistically significant manner and for its prerequisite of large-scale investigations (e.g. Lisciandra 2020). Moreover, randomisation does not necessarily result in the treatment group and control group sharing equal characteristics (ibid.).…”

“…The dominance of the BoP concept and the RCT method in 21 st century poverty research in the economic sciences has largely ruled out other approaches (Peredo et al 2018;Lisciandra 2020). The resultant theoretical and methodological monism has narrowed poverty research to such an extent that it is unable to reflect on criticism (ibid.).…”