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Randomized Experiments

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Observational Studies

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Statistics ((SSS))

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Abstract

Observational studies and controlled experiments have the same goal, inference about treatment effects, but random assignment of treatments is present only in experiments. This chapter reviews the role of randomization in experiments, and so prepares for discussion of observational studies in later chapters. A theory of observational studies must have a clear view of the role of randomization, so it can have an equally clear view of the consequences of its absence. Sections 2.1 and 2.2 give two examples: a large controlled clinical trial, and then a small but famous example due to Sir Ronald Fisher, who is usually credited with the invention of randomization, which he called the “reasoned basis for inference” in experiments. Later sections discuss the meaning of this phrase, that is, the link between randomization and statistical methods. Most of the material in this chapter is quite old.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Statistics, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, 19104-6302, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Paul R. Rosenbaum

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  1. Paul R. Rosenbaum
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© 2002 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Rosenbaum, P.R. (2002). Randomized Experiments. In: Observational Studies. Springer Series in Statistics. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3692-2_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3692-2_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-3191-7

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