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There is Cause to Randomize

Larroulet Philippi, Cristian (2022) There is Cause to Randomize. Philosophy of Science, 89 (1). pp. 152-170.

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Abstract

While practitioners think highly of randomized studies, some philosophers argue that there is no epistemic reason to randomize. Here I show that their arguments do not entail their conclusion. Moreover, I provide novel reasons for randomizing in the context of interventional studies. The overall discussion provides a unified framework for assessing baseline balance, one that holds for interventional and observational studies alike. The upshot: Practitioners’ strong preference for randomized studies can be defended in some cases, while still offering a nuanced approach to evidence appraisal, one where not all nonrandomized studies are treated equally.


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Item Type: Published Article or Volume
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Larroulet Philippi, Cristiancristianlarroulet@gmail.com0000-0001-5793-4670
Keywords: randomization, causal inference, social sciences
Subjects: General Issues > Causation
Specific Sciences > Economics
General Issues > Evidence
General Issues > Experimentation
Depositing User: Cristian Larroulet Philippi
Date Deposited: 02 Feb 2022 02:20
Last Modified: 02 Feb 2022 02:20
Item ID: 20179
Journal or Publication Title: Philosophy of Science
Publisher: University of Cambridge Press
Official URL: https://www.doi.org/10.1017/psa.2021.19
Subjects: General Issues > Causation
Specific Sciences > Economics
General Issues > Evidence
General Issues > Experimentation
Date: 31 January 2022
Page Range: pp. 152-170
Volume: 89
Number: 1
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/20179

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