Robert F. Boruch
· University Trustee Chair Professor of Education, Professor of Statistics and Data ScienceUniversity of Pennsylvania · Statistics and Data Science
Active 1969–2022
Academic metrics are sourced from OpenAlex and public funding records; values may differ from Google Scholar.
About
Dr. Robert F. Boruch is the University Trustee Chair Professor Emeritus of Education and Statistics at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to his tenure at Penn starting in 1989, he served as a Professor of Psychology and Statistics at Northwestern University and held research positions at the National Academy of Sciences, the Social Science Research Council, and the American Council on Education. His work focuses on research methods and evidence for determining the severity and scope of social and educational issues, implementing programs, and estimating the effects of interventions. He contributes significantly to randomized trials across various social sectors in both developed and developing countries, as well as to data sharing and ethics in social research.
Research topics
- Psychology
- Computer Science
- Sociology
- Political Science
- Management science
- Public relations
- Epistemology
- Engineering ethics
- Economics
- Medical education
Selected publications
Learning at the bottom of the pyramid: science, measurement, and policy in low-income countries
MINISTERIO DE EDUCACIÓN · 2018-01-01 · 43 citations
articleOpen accessIn this volume, a diverse group of authors discuss and analyse the scientific tensions in understanding learning among poor and marginalized populations in Low- and Middle-income countries (LMICs). Four broad areas are considered: how to define the BoP; how to measure and assess learning outcomes across diverse populations within a country; variations in learning across the life-span; and the implications for international education policy. Each of the 12 chapters is complemented by two commenta…
Advancing knowledge about replication in criminology
Journal of Experimental Criminology · 2018-07-25 · 32 citations
articleEdward Elgar Publishing eBooks · 2017-03-31 · 14 citations
book-chapter1st authorCorrespondingThe use of RCTs in social policy fields is the focus of Chapter 2 by Boruch et al. The chapter includes examples of how to use them and how they have been used in social policy fields, including crime and education. The chapter also discusses the strong and weak points of using RCTs. A central methodological problem is how to ensure that participating individuals are randomly chosen when making the intervention and, further, that the comparison group is suitable
Lessons from working across fields to develop a framework for informed choices
Research for All · 2022 · 5 citations
In late 2018, Iain Chalmers, Andy Oxman and others from the Informed Health Choices team convened a cross-field forum to develop a generic framework of key concepts for thinking critically about claims, research and choices about interventions, with the aim of supporting ‘informed choices’. We define an informed choice as one that is based on critical understanding of the relevant available evidence. This paper describes the process of that cross-field engagement, and reflects on how consensus w…
Campbell Systematic Reviews · 2018-01-01 · 4 citations
articleOpen accessThis Campbell systematic review examines the impact of Teach For America (TFA) on learning outcomes. Four studies were included in the review. Studies had to be a quantitative evaluation of the effects of TFA on K–12 student academic outcomes. Studies also had to use a research design which: 1. allowed valid causal inferences about TFA's effects, 2. targeted participants K–12 students taught by TFA corps members or TFA alumni in the USA, 3. compared TFA corps members to novice teachers, or compa…
Recent grants
Instability in Education Systems, Randomized Controlled Trials, and Children's Achievement
NSF · $469k · 2013–2016
Frequent coauthors
- 39 shared
Jeremy Grimshaw
- 33 shared
Monica Taljaard
Ottawa Hospital
- 29 shared
Jamie Brehaut
Ottawa Hospital
- 27 shared
Ellen Foley
Clark University
- 27 shared
Andrew D. McRae
University of Calgary
- 20 shared
Merrick Zwarenstein
Western University
- 20 shared
Joe S. Cecil
- 19 shared
Raphael Saginur
Ottawa Hospital
Awards & honors
- An award named in his honor is given each year to people who…
- Fellow of the American Statistical Association
- Fellow of the American Educational Research Association
- Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Fellow of the Academy for Experimental Criminology
Similar researchers at University of Pennsylvania
- Resume-aware match score
- Save to shortlist
- AI-drafted outreach
See your match with Robert F. Boruch
PhdFit ranks faculty by your research interests, methods, and publications — grounded in their actual work, not templates.
- Free to start
- No credit card
- 30-second signup