Publication

Using RCTs as a research method for SME policy research: The UK experience.

Published: 12 April 2018

ERC Research Paper No 66

Associated Themes

• 
  Business Growth

---

Randomised controlled trials or RCTs have a number of theoretical advantages over more standard econometric evaluation approaches, particularly the avoidance of selection bias. Over the period since 2010 five publicly funded RCT projects and a range of communication trials have been undertaken in the UK designed to test aspects of small business and innovation policy. We briefly describe the trials and identify the operational and tactical issues which arose. Experience from medical trials also suggests the value of replication and synthesis, epitomised in the Cochrane Reviews.

---

Downloads

---