Experimental Thinking: A Primer On Social Science Experiments New Edition

"Experiments are a central methodology in the social sciences. Scholars from every discipline regularly turn to them. Practitioners rely on experimental evidence in evaluating social programs, policies, institutions, and information provision. The last decade has seen a fundamental shift in experimental social science due not only to its emergence as a primary methodology in many disciplines but also to technological advances and evolving sociological norms (e.g., open science). This book is about how to"think" about experiments in light of these changes. It argues that designing a good experiment is a slow-moving process (given the host of considerations) that is counter to the current fast-moving temptations available in the social sciences. The book includes discussion of the place of experiments in the social science process; the assumptions underlying different types of experiment; the validity of experiments; the application of different designs (such as audit field experiments and conjoint surveyexperiments); how to arrive at experimental questions; the role of replications in experimental research; and the steps involved in designing and conducting "good" experiments. The goal is to ensure that social science research remains driven by important substantive questions and fully exploits the potential of experiments in a thoughtful manner"--