The Importance of Humility in Ethical Research

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In so many cases, a particular experiment, which has statistical significance, doesn't replicate. And that's a problem of development in the randomized trials in poor countries. It's an enormous problem in epidemiology where they often have enormous samples but still have results that cannot be replicated on different samples and or across different cultures.

Joshua Angrist of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology talks to EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the craft of econometrics--how to use economic thinking and statistical methods to make sense of data and uncover causation. Angrist argues that improvements in research design along with various econometric techniques have improved the credibility of measurement in a complex world. Roberts pushes back and the conversation concludes with a discussion of how to assess the reliability of findings in controversial public policy areas.