Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

General Information

1. How do I know if my study is eligible to be registered with RIDIE?
2. How do I know if my study is an Impact Evaluation?
3. What is a prospective registration? Are only prospective registrations allowed? Can I register a completed study?
4. I plan to use secondary data for my analysis; can I still register my study with RIDIE?
5. What is the difference between RIDIE and registries such as the AEA’s Registry of RCTs or ClinicalTrials.gov?
6. How do I register my impact evaluation with RIDIE?
7. Is my submission to RIDIE reviewed?
8. How do I search RIDIE for studies?
9. My study is already registered with the American Economic Association (AEA) Registry of RCTs, or with Clinical Trials.gov. Should I register twice?
10. Do I need to have approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB), or ethics review committee in order to register my study?
11. Do I need to register myself as a user on the RIDIE platform before registering my study?
12. How long should I expect registration to take?
13. Can I view the questions that need to be filled out before starting to register?
14. What is the cost of registration in RIDIE?
15. Can I register a study after data collection has started, the study has closed to recruitment, or data collection has been completed?
16. How do I release documentation of my study?
17. Is there an easy way to identify or refer to a specific study?
18. Must I be the principal investigator (PI) in order to register a study?
19. How much of the information I register about my study will be made public?
20. Whom should I contact with specific or general questions about RIDIE?

 

1. How do I know if my study is eligible to be registered with RIDIE?

We encourage registration of any study that meets these criteria:

• It is an impact evaluation of a specific intervention or program in a low- or middle-income country.
• The evaluation uses rigorous statistical methods to estimate the causal impacts of the intervention. Both experimental and quasi-experimental approaches are eligible. (See 3ie's Glossary of Impact Evaluation Terms.)
• The study is planned (and funded) or ongoing.

As indicated, studies can use experimental methods (randomized controlled trials) or a wide range of quasi-experimental methods (e.g., difference in difference, matching, regression discontinuity). The common element is that they all estimate impacts via specification of the counterfactual, that is, a comparison between what actually happened and what would have happened in the absence of the program. The intervention can be in any domain related to development (e.g., education, health, agriculture, governance, employment). Evaluations can use primary or secondary data.

RIDIE encourages registration of studies prior to data analysis (and completion). Please see also Should I Register My Study?

← Return to top  

2. How do I know if my study is an Impact Evaluation?

3ie defines an impact evaluation as "a study of the attribution of changes in the outcome to the intervention. Impact evaluations have either an experimental or quasi-experimental design." See the 3ie Glossary of Impact Evaluation Terms and the 3ie Principles for Impact Evaluation.

← Return to top  

3. What is a prospective registration? Are only prospective registrations allowed? Can I register a completed study?

In a prospective registry, researchers record specific information about their evaluation plan up front, before the impacts of the program are assessed. This information can include outcomes to be measured, hypotheses to be tested, main and subgroup analysis, and specifications to be used. Prospective registration encourages research transparency and benefits study researchers as well as the broader research and policymaking community in a number of important ways. These are outlined on the page describing the Benefits of Prospective Registration.

RIDIE defines "prospective" relatively broadly. We encourage registration of all development impact evaluations that are either planned or ongoing. RIDIE is not intended for registering evaluation studies that are already completed. We recommend that completed (published) evaluations be registered at the 3ie Impact Evaluation Database or another study repository.

← Return to top  

4. I plan to use secondary data for my analysis; can I still register my study with RIDIE?

Yes. There are fields where you can describe the content, source, and analysis plan for any secondary (or primary) data you will use.

← Return to top  

5. What is the difference between RIDIE and registries such as the AEA’s Registry of RCTs or ClinicalTrials.gov?

AEA's Registry of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), and ClinicalTrials.gov are registries for randomized control trials involving human subjects research. In contrast, 3ie's RIDIE includes both experimental evaluations (RCTS) and quasi-experimental evaluations. Unlike AEA, RIDIE focuses solely on evaluations of programs in low- and middle-income countries. Unlike ClinicalTrials.gov, RIDIE does not include studies of clinical efficacy of biomedical interventions.

← Return to top  

6. How do I register my impact evaluation with RIDIE?

Go to the Registration Page. If you do not yet have a RIDIE account, you will be asked to create one first.

← Return to top  

7. Is my submission to RIDIE reviewed?

RIDIE staff will review all entries for logical consistency and completeness. We do not evaluate the quality of the research idea, design, or (later) the results. This is not the purpose of the registry.

← Return to top  

8. How do I search RIDIE for studies?

You can use RIDIE's basic search function in the top navigational banner of every page or the Advanced Search Option. Note that it is not necessary to create an account on RIDIE to search and download studies.

← Return to top  

9. My study is already registered with the American Economic Association (AEA) Registry of RCTs, or with Clinical Trials.gov. Should I register twice?

Generally, you do not need to register multiple times. All study registries differ somewhat in the information they collect and record. You may want to confirm with your funder which registry or registries they will accept. Efforts are now being made to have searchable links between RIDIE, AEA, and other registries.

← Return to top  

10. Do I need to have approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB), or ethics review committee in order to register my study?

No. Please be aware that registering in RIDIE is not a substitute for IRB or ethics review.

← Return to top  

11. Do I need to register myself as a user on the RIDIE platform before registering my study?

Yes, only registered users can register studies (but anyone can search). Click here to Register as a User.

← Return to top  

12. How long should I expect registration to take?

RIDIE is designed to facilitate quick and convenient registration. An average study can be registered within 1 hour. Later updates will take much less time depending on the changes to be made. Once the study is completed, entering completed study information should take less than 30 minutes. Registration time will vary depending on the nature of the study.

← Return to top  

13. Can I view the questions that need to be filled out before starting to register?

Yes. Download the RIDIE Study Registration Fields Example. Note that you will not have to fill out all the fields shown. Many questions will be skipped based on the type of study and prior responses, and many are optional.

← Return to top  

14. What is the cost of registration in RIDIE?

Use of RIDIE is free.

← Return to top  

15. Can I register a study after data collection has started, the study has closed to recruitment, or data collection has been completed?

Yes. As noted, you can register planned and ongoing studies. RIDIE does not register completed studies; you can submit completed studies to the 3ie Impact Evaluation Database or to an alternative repository for such studies.

← Return to top  

16. How do I release documentation of my study?

You can download your study information at any time and use it to report to study participants, funders, journal editors, and others. The documentation displays all changes you made since the initial registration.

← Return to top  

17. Is there an easy way to identify or refer to a specific study?

All studies in RIDIE have a unique identifier that you can cite in reports and papers or use to look up the study's record in RIDIE.

← Return to top  

18. Must I be the principal investigator (PI) in order to register a study?

You need not be the PI in order to register a study. However, RIDIE asks about the PI's details, and the PI is ultimately responsible for the accuracy of the entry.

← Return to top  

19. How much of the information I register about my study will be made public?

RIDIE allows users to request that certain fields be kept private for the study period so as to protect intellectual property as well as sensitive information that could adversely affect study participants or research projects. However, most fields in RIDIE are public, and we encourage registrants to carefully weigh the merits of restricting access to some information. Please refer to the downloadable Registration Fields Example for the possible designations of the various fields.

All fields will be made public upon study completion.

← Return to top  

20. Whom should I contact with specific or general questions about RIDIE?

For questions on how to use RIDIE, please see the following resources:

• RIDIE fields:  see detailed instructions for each field in the RIDIE online system as well as in the downloadable Registration Fields Example
• Search:  see help for conducting Advanced Searches
• RIDIE's purpose and design:  see the RIDIE Design Document

For any further questions or any comments on the registry, please contact us at 3ie@3ieimpact.org. Your questions and feedback will help us to continuously improve RIDIE.

← Return to top