z-Tree in VLab : A Method for Running Online Economic Experiments

We propose a convenient method to run online economic experiments via z-Tree, should a virtual lab with a file server exist. Assuming these technologies are already available in many universities, this method does not require any additional tool or resource. Once the setup is completed, a researcher can run any type of experiment (including interactive tasks) with subjects participating in real time. With the virtual lab architecture, a researcher finds the very same desktop she has in a physical lab; therefore, she does not need to adapt to any different platform. The researcher only needs additional software to communicate with the subjects (e.g., Zoom), but this is probably not a burden since most have already adapted to these applications during the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe that the use of z-Tree through a virtual lab, necessitated by the current lack of access to physical subjects, will continue to provide a convenient method for running online experiments with z-Tree during the pandemic as well as beyond