The Downstream Benefits of Experimentation

This article defines and illustrates “downstream” experimental analysis—that is, analysis of the indirect effects of experimental interventions—and argues that downstream analysis may be as valuable as conventional analysis, perhaps even more so in the case of laboratory experimentation.

Abstract

The debate about the cost-effectiveness of randomized field experimentation ignores one of the most important potential uses of experimental data. This article defines and illustrates “downstream” experimental analysis—that is, analysis of the indirect effects of experimental interventions. We argue that downstream analysis may be as valuable as conventional analysis, perhaps even more so in the case of laboratory experimentation.