The gold standard of medical research, the randomized controlled trial, has been taking a bit of a beating lately. An entire issue of the journal Social Science and Medicine was recently devoted to it, with many articles pointing to shortcomings. Others have argued that randomized controlled trials often can’t address the questions that patients and physicians most want answered. But the randomized controlled trial remains a powerful tool. It’s still, perhaps, the best method for conducting explanatory research.
This episode was adapted from a column I wrote for the Upshot. Links to sources can be found there.
