IMEEL will use a host of methods to conduct both computerized and paper-based experiments. Determining whether an experiment should be conducted using a computer or other forms of input, such as pencil and paper or physical devices (such as die, cards, and bingo cages), will depend on several factors, including (1) the research question, (2) the experimental game, and (3) the intended participants. The latter is of particular importance for IMEEL, since the Laboratory's participants will mainly be smallholders in poor rural communities who may have limited experience with computer-based systems. Therefore, IMEEL will assess—on a case-by-case basis—which of the above methods is best suited for conducting a particular experiment.

When computerized experiments are warranted, IMEEL has 12 portable computers that can be carried into the field to solicit participant responses. These computers connect to a server that is also portable by means of an offline, wireless local-area network ensured by an access point. IMEEL also has 20 handheld devices, which are used for conducting shorter experiments or administering surveys, as well as additional peripherals to support the Laboratory's operation and mobilization. IMEEL's experiments will take into account local factors (such as languages) in order to accommodate the participants. In this context, IMEEL will work closely with local field experts.

Many academic institutions and some private organizations have experimental laboratories, some of which have a portable component. IMEEL is unique in that it is the first mobile laboratory developed by an international organization that is exclusively devoted to the world's poor and uses hands-on decisionmaking experiments. Previous field experiments studying the poor have mainly been ad hoc and decentralized. By dedicating a mobile experimental laboratory to specifically study decisions made by smallholders around the world, IFPRI and MTID are pioneering new approaches to impact assessment through the use of behavior-based experiments with a specific focus on reducing hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.