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Define RCTs:
Define RCTs:
Often considered the ‘Gold Standard’ in research design.
Cornerstone features of the RCT include the use of randomization to distribute the participants into the intervention and control groups.
RTC evaluates the effectiveness or impact of specific treatments by administering the intervention to a treatment group and comparing its effects to a control or placebo group which does not receive the intervention.
Using blinding, where both the investigators and participants are unaware of which sample group receives the intervention and which group is the control, bias can be eliminated and objectivity is promoted. The outcomes are evaluated to determine the effect of the intervention, and the extent to which this intervention may produce a benefit to the population beyond the sampling group.
When To Use RCTs:
When To Use RCTs:
For study designs intended to determine the comparative efficacy and/or effectiveness of a specific intervention
When outcomes to be tested are specific and accurately measurable
Study design minimizes biases
Minimizes confounding variables when baseline characteristics are well identified and divided between treatment and control groups
More publishable, as RCT is considered the gold standard of study designs
When Not to Use RCTs:
When Not to Use RCTs:
When the population from which to draw out your sample is too small (ex. studying treatments in a rare hereditary condition)
When a robust sample size is not possible (affects external validity)
When you need results/findings quickly
For exploratory research, when the research question is not yet clearly defined
Classic use is geared towards straightforward biochemical treatments as opposed to socially complex interventions
Some research may not ethically be performed as an RCT (ex. effects of parachutes on the survival of skydivers)
Informed consent can be difficult or impossible to obtain
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