This seminar will reflect on the challenges of synthesizing evidence about effectiveness through systematic reviews. Based on their experiences with meta-analyses of the literature on contract farming and microcredit, the presenters identify ways to conduct and use systematic reviews sensibly. They will further reflect on the next level of systematisation, i.e. the usefulness of conducting systematic reviews of systematic reviews, drawing on recent work on financial inclusion.
About the speakers
Maren Duvendack is a Senior Lecturer in Development Economics at the University of East Anglia, where her key research areas cover applied micro-econometrics, impact evaluation, systematic reviews and meta-analysis, microfinance, replication and reproduction of quantitative analyses as well as research ethics. Maren has extensively worked on microfinance impact evaluations in India and Bangladesh, and is particularly interested in the link between microfinance, empowerment and reproductive health.
Giel Ton is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies and Director of the Centre for Development Impact. He specializes in the design of mixed-methods impact evaluations in agricultural value chains and private-sector development and applies He is particularly interested in research designs that integrate methods for pattern detection in data sets (e.g. regressions, qualitative comparative analysis) and in-depth causal explanation (e.g. process tracing, realist evaluation).