Randomised Controlled Trials

Randomised Controlled Trials technique has transformed Tuberculosis (TB) treatment.

What are Randomised Controlled Trials?

• Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) divide a population into smaller groups to compare the effects of an external stimulus.
• For instance, to evaluate a free grains distribution scheme’s impact on nutrition levels, researchers would split the population into two groups at random.
• The control group does not receive the stimulus (grains), while the treatment group does.
• After a specific period, researchers collect and compare data on both groups to assess the stimulus’s overall impact.

Criticisms of Randomized Controlled Trials

• Economist Angus Deaton, a Nobel Prize winner, criticizes RCTs for their fundamental approach in his work, “Understanding and Misunderstanding Randomised Control Trials”.
• Deaton argues that randomly chosen samples in an RCT might not be identical in various characteristics, which can affect the trial’s validity.
• There is a higher likelihood of samples differing significantly, despite random selection.
• Critics point out that RCTs are more effective in physical sciences than in social sciences.
• In fields like development economics, it is argued that RCTs may not be suitable because it’s often impossible to control multiple influencing factors in social settings.

Ref:Source