Exploring the Feasibility and Quality of Matched Neighborhood Research Designs

Publication Date: June 2003

Publisher: MDRC (Organization)

Author(s): George C. Galster; Howard S. Bloom; Nandita Verma; David C. Seith

Research Area: Social conditions

Keywords: Neighborhood Interventions; Research Methodology

Type: Report

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

Many evaluations of neighborhood-level interventions have relied on neighborhood-matching strategies, but to the authors’ knowledge the validity of this methodology has not been tested. This paper responds to the demand for rigorous evidence on the use of quasi-experimental neighborhood matches for assessing the effectiveness of community-wide interventions.