Frequently Asked Questions
What is a randomized controlled trial (RCT)?
A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) is a clinical trial where participants are randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control group. The treatment group receives the treatment being studied, while the control group receives either an alternative treatment, no treatment, or a placebo. Effects of the treatments are monitored to determine the efficacy of the treatment.
To reduce bias, RCTs may be blind, meaning the participants do not know which group they have been assigneed to, or double blind, in which case the researchers will also not know who is in which group.
You can find RCT results in many databases. Cochrane Collection Plus searches across the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Methodology Register, and Cochrane Clinical Answers. For other discipline-specific databases, explore the resources on our Research by Subject pages in your discipline.