📘 About the IDEAL Metadata Schema

The IDEAL Metadata Schema was developed to standardize the extraction of effect size data from randomized evaluations in international development. Despite the rapid growth of impact evaluations, the lack of consistent metadata formats has limited our ability to compare results across interventions, geographies, and outcomes. IDEAL fills this gap by providing a comprehensive schema—aligned with global standards like DDI, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the AEA RCT Registry—to systematically document key design features, intervention details, outcome measures, and treatment effects from published studies.

This schema is the backbone of the Impact Data and Evidence Aggregation Library (IDEAL). By enabling consistent and structured data extraction, IDEAL supports large-scale meta-analyses, evidence reviews, and policy synthesis efforts. The schema is openly available here for public use, including researchers, evidence aggregators, and developers building tools to advance evidence-informed policymaking in low- and middle-income countries.