Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/306281 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Series/Report no.: 
I4R Discussion Paper Series No. 184
Publisher: 
Institute for Replication (I4R), s.l.
Abstract: 
Our paper examines construct validity, an often neglected yet important element affecting the generalizability of individual study results. Construct validity deals with how the operationalization of a treatment corresponds to the broader construct it intends to speak to. The universe of potential operationalizations is referred to as the design space. As an empirical example, we systematically review 45 microfinance Randomized Controlled Trials to estimate the size of the design space. Variations in the treatment operationalization matter for the observed effect. We also show that most papers generalize from the operationalized treatment to a broad construct, mostly without acknowledging underlying assumptions.
Subjects: 
causal inference
generalizability
meta-science
microfinance
systematic review
JEL: 
A11
C18
C93
D04
O12
O16
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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