Computerizing Audit Studies

Area of Science:

• Economics
• Sociology
• Labor Market Studies

Background:

• Traditional audit field experiments are a common method for studying market discrimination.
• These methods face challenges including template bias and experimenter bias.
• Previous research has highlighted the limitations of conventional audit techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss the history, benefits, and shortcomings of traditional audit field experiments.
• To identify and elaborate on template bias and experimenter bias in audit methods.
• To introduce a computerized approach for resume audits to mitigate these biases.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of audit field experiment methodologies.
• Empirical demonstration using a computerized resume audit.
• Development of a meta-tool for creating resume audits.

Main Results:

• Computerization of resume audits significantly increases sample size.
• Digital methods effectively mitigate template bias and experimenter bias.
• A functional meta-tool for resume audit creation has been developed.

Conclusions:

• Computerized resume audits offer a more efficient and reliable method for studying market discrimination.
• The developed meta-tool empowers future researchers to conduct robust discrimination studies.
• Addressing biases in audit methods is crucial for accurate market discrimination research.