Bédécarrats F. auteur aut IRD Guérin Isabelle auteur aut IRD Roubaud François auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access Randomized control trials (RCTs) have a narrow scope, restricted to basic intervention schemes. Experimental designs also display specific biases and political uses when implemented in the real world. Despite these limitations, the method has been advertised as the gold standard to evaluate development policies. This article adopts a political economy approach to explore this paradox. It argues that the success of RCTs is driven mainly by a new scientific business model based on a mix of simplicity and mathematical rigour, media and donor appeal, and academic and financial returns. This in turn meets current interests and preferences in the academic world and the donor community. specialized 095 50 3 735-762 2019 0012-155X https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010075735 10.1111/dech.12378 0012-155X [F B010075735] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010075735 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2019/06/010075735.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2019-07-05 2026-01-15 fdi:010075735 fre