RCT | VoxDev

Customised agricultural advice at scale: How digital extension helps Indian farmers grow more and lose less

Can a small pilot project still be effective when scaled up to reach millions? New evidence shows digital advisory can help farmers who experience weather shocks to obtain higher yields.

Agriculture

Shawn Cole Jessica Goldberg Tomoko Harigaya Jessica Zhu

Published

02.07.25

Helping jobseekers understand their skills boosted earnings in South Africa

Short, low-cost workshops helped young South African jobseekers to learn about their skills, search for better-matched vacancies, and raise their earnings by 25%.

Labour Markets

Andrea Kiss Robert Garlick Kate Orkin Lukas Hensel

Published

01.07.25

Can quality signalling boost demand for solar technologies?

Despite the potential of solar power in sub-Saharan Africa, many rural households opt for low-quality solar products due to lack of affordability and information. A field experiment in Senegal shows that third-party certificates and warranties increa...

Energy & Environment

Aidan Coville Joshua Graff Zivin Arndt Reichert Ann-Kristin Reitmann

Published

26.06.25

Demand for ‘safe space’: How women-only transit cars reduced harassment while reinforcing harmful gender norms in Brazil

Women-only spaces offer a quick fix for those facing higher risk of harassment but reflect and may reinforce the idea that women are responsible for preventing their own victimisation.

Infrastructure

Florence Kondylis Arianna Legovini Kate Vyborny Astrid Zwager Luiza Andrade

Published

07.07.25

Can participatory budgeting build government legitimacy and increase tax revenues in weak states?

Evidence from Sierra Leone shows that digital participatory budgeting can increase government legitimacy in weak states but only increases tax compliance for supporters of the incumbent government.

Institutions & Political Economy

Kevin Grieco Abou Bakarr Kamara Niccolò F. Meriggi Julian Michel Wilson Prichard

Published

27.06.25

Understanding the re-emerging effects of cash transfers 12 years on

A new long-term follow-up on a cash grant programme in Uganda shows that impacts partly reappear during crisis times, shedding light on the challenges of long-term RCTs.

Methods & Measurement

Jörg Ankel-Peters Julian Rose

Published

23.06.25

Building cognitive endurance: How a simple change in the school day can transform attentional capacity

Promoting sustained effortful mental activity in Indian primary schools markedly improved student cognitive and educational outcomes across a wide range of subjects.

Education

Christina Brown Supreet Kaur Geeta Gandhi Kingdon Heather Schofield

Published

26.06.25

How do labour market fears shape attitudes toward refugees?

Evidence from Uganda and Ethiopia suggests that host prejudice against refugees increases when refugees are perceived as direct job competitors, but not necessarily when actual competition exists.

Labour Markets

Julie Bousquet Anna Gasten Mark Marvin Kadigo Jean-François Maystadt Colette Salemi

Published

16.06.25

Clean water in India: Is delivering water a viable solution?

An understudied approach to delivering clean water in rural India shows high take-up and substantial health and welfare benefits, offering actionable insights for improving access to clean water.

Health

Fiona Burlig Amir Jina Anant Sudarshan

Published

29.05.25