Experimental Kit
A set of resources covering the design, implementation and reporting of experiments, drawing on our extensive experience running and supporting trials.
Experimentation is a powerful tool for evaluation, as it allows researchers to measure impact and causality. But running experiments is hard! Alongside design challenges, there are many practical hurdles to experimentation, including complex scientific and administrative procedures.
At IGL, we have gathered a set of resources covering the design, implementation and reporting of experiments, drawing on our extensive experience running and supporting trials.
The resources are categorised into three experimental stages.
Access the resources by clicking on the images:
- Research Question
- Trial Design
- Pre-Implementation Preparation
- Theory of Change
- Recruitment
- Randomisation
- Outcome data collection
- Funding, agreements and piloting
Stage 3: Analysis and reporting
- Implementation
- Analysis
- Reporting the experiment
- Data management and storage
- Presenting results
Why research resources?
The purpose of these resources is to support those conducting experiments to structure their trials for success and overcome barriers to implementation. By following the steps above, adapted from our RCT guide, experimenters can improve the likelihood of success and generate more robust, transparent evidence that can effectively inform policy and practice.
Who can use the resources?
These resources support researchers and analysts conducting experiments, particularly randomised controlled trials (RCTs). We designed them with researchers new to experimentation (such as PhD students and early-career researchers) in mind. However, many of the resources will be useful for anyone evaluating a programme – following the steps below and thinking experimentally is valuable regardless of whether a full experiment is conducted. We encourage you to explore the templates below to determine whether they can be tailored for your specific research context or institutional requirements.
How do you use the resources?
Each resource is an open-source, editable template that you can download and fill out. You can also open the Google Doc version of each resource and create a template on your own device. Instructions, including definitions for key terms, are provided at the beginning of each template.
Keep in mind that specific requirements vary between disciplines and institutions; our templates may not entirely meet all your needs. Please check with your supervisor or project team.
What if I can’t find what I need?
Experiments are both complex and varied, so our resources may not meet every specific need. However, we are happy to consider additions to our existing resources that will support the wider adoption of experimental methods. Further resources are in development, and new templates will be added.
Our goal is to support you – we welcome feedback about both current resources and suggestions for future ones. Please fill out our survey.
Acknowledgement
Development of the research resources is generously supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.