Can Randomized Controlled Trials Be Remedied?

As the Middle East and North Africa (mena) is becoming a lab for randomized controlled trials in the social sciences, this essay reflects on the use of this methodology in the region. Reflecting on earlier critiques of the method’s deployment in the Global South, we argue that the perils of its use outweigh the benefits. Unlike many of the existing critiques, we maintain that this methodology’s intrinsic flaws are further exacerbated in the context of mena, and that its shortcomings cannot be mitigated by safeguards. So instead of trying to further refine it, researchers should seek alternative methods.