natural experiment

How has research featured on VoxDev used different econometric techniques? Here are some examples from recent development economics research, offering insights for students, teachers and academics.

A merit-based teacher hiring reform succeeded in recruiting teachers with better qualifications, but the replacement of more experienced teachers led to a decline in student outcomes.

A large-scale debit card rollout to cash transfer recipients in Mexico led small retailers to adopt point-of-sale terminals and had a broad range of impacts on financial technology adoption, shopping behaviour, and retailer sales and profits.

Evidence from Brazil's transition to a national college admission exam shows that higher-stakes testing widened socioeconomic test score gaps, yet also improved the exam's ability to predict students' college success.

Evidence from Malawi shows that temporary capital inflows from migrants can permanently reshape rural labour markets by jumpstarting a structural transformation out of agriculture.

Gender gaps in access to education have persisted in low- and middle-income countries, despite all but closing in high-income countries. Affirmative action for women in public universities in Afghanistan increased the share of women admitted by 32%. ...

The use of glyphosate in Brazilian agriculture led to a deterioration of birth outcomes in surrounding populations

Opportunities for nurses to migrate abroad can increase the supply of educated nurses at home

High-speed internet connectivity in Africa increased FDI into the services sector with the technology, finance, retail and health service subsectors the main beneficiaries