The Brookings Global Economy and Development Conference, which was held in Washington DC at the end of May, is proof that there is now a healthy debate on the proper use of randomized evaluations and the benefits and limitations of this method of research.
I currently help manage a randomized evaluation, and when I tell this to those that inquire, the usual response I receive from those aware of this kind of research is either great excitement or deep skepticism. I believe that for those that lie in one camp or the other, reading several of the articles from this conference might help moderate their position.
I particularly recommend Dana Rodrik's article "The New Development Economics: We Shall Experiment, But How Shall We Learn?" as well as Alaka Holla and Michael Kremer's "Pricing and Access: Lessons from Randomized Evaluation in Health and Education."
Thanks to Doug for making me aware of the conference.
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