TY  - JOUR
AU  - Al-Ubaydli,Omar
AU  - List,John A.
TI  - On the Generalizability of Experimental Results in Economics
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 17957
PY  - 2012
Y2  - March 2012
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w17957
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w17957.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Omar Al-Ubaydli
Department of Economics and Mercatus Center
George Mason University
E-Mail: omar@omar.ec

John List
Department of Economics
University of Chicago
1126 East 59th
Chicago, IL 60637
Tel: 301/405-1288
Fax: 301/314-9091
E-Mail: jlist@uchicago.edu
AB  - Economists are increasingly turning to the experimental method as a means to estimate causal effects. By using randomization to identify key treatment effects, theories previously viewed as untestable are now scrutinized, efficacy of public policies are now more easily verified, and stakeholders can swiftly add empirical evidence to aid their decision-making. This study provides an overview of experimental methods in economics, with a special focus on developing an economic theory of generalizability. Given that field experiments are in their infancy, our secondary focus pertains to a discussion of the various parameters that they identify, and how they add to scientific knowledge. We conclude that until we conduct more field experiments that build a bridge between the lab and the naturally-occurring settings of interest we cannot begin to make strong conclusions empirically on the crucial question of generalizability from the lab to the field.
ER  -