An Introduction to Audit Studies in the Social Sciences

Abstract

An audit study is a specific type of field experiment primarily used to test for discriminatory behavior when survey and interview questions induce social desirability bas. In this chapter, I first review the language and definitions related to audit studies and encourage adoption of a common language. I then discuss why researchers use the audit method as well as when researchers can and should use this method. Next, I give an overview of the history of audit studies, focusing on major developments and changes in the overall body of work. Finally, I discuss the limitations of correspondence audits and provide some thoughts on future directions.Acknowledgments: Many scholars have played important roles in sharpening my thoughts on this method. I cannot name them all here but I

Discrimination in healthcare: A field experiment with Pakistan’s Transgender community

“…1 In this paper, we ask whether certain types of patients (specifically, transgender patients -Khwaja sira 2 -in Pakistan) are treated differently in direct contradiction to the second statement of the oath. 3 Using an inperson audit-study approach (as defined by Gaddis, 2018), we randomize cisgender male or transgender standardized patient visits to low-cost private clinics in a large urban setting in Pakistan (Lahore). 4 We detail out the process of obtaining healthcare, by observing all aspects of the physician-patient interaction.…”

sendemails: An automated email package with multiple applications

“…Social scientists have increasingly used this experimental method in recent years(Baert 2018;Gaddis 2018a;Gaddis and DiRago 2021;Oh and Yinger 2015;Quillian et al 2017;Rich 2014; Zschirnt and Rueding 2016).…”

Unequal? Investigating Employers’ Recruitment Practice Towards Wheelchair Users

“…Field experiments have become a gold standard in social science as the design is expected to isolate the effect of the varying factor and test a real behaviour instead of a hypothetical behaviour like in FSE, for example (Gaddis, 2018;Larsen, E. N., 2020;Wulff & Villadsen, 2020). Few previous studies have compared results of the methods aimed at determining the behavioural validity of FSE, and it has been emphasised that more knowledge and examples are required (Petzold & Wolbring, 2019).…”

“…To study actual recruitment behaviour, researchers have used field experiments. Field experiments have been used in various settings, but since the 1960s they have also been used to investigate employers' actual recruitment behaviour (Gaddis, 2018).…”

“…These field experiments aim to detect discrimination by identifying differences in the number of job interview invitations for different groups of society based on e.g. gender, age, race, ethnicity, education or disability (Baert, 2018;Gaddis, 2018;Mcdonald, 2019;Rich & Riach, 2004). By sending applications for real vacancies with fictitious applicants varying on specific factors, differences in invitations to job interviews revealed employers' real recruitment behaviour during the initial stage of the recruitment process.…”