Alternatives to the Randomized Controlled Trial

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 98; no. 8; pp. 1359 - 1366
• Main Authors: West, Stephen G, Duan, Naihua, Pequegnat, Willo, Gaist, Paul, Des Jarlais, Don C, Holtgrave, David, Szapocznik, Jose, Fishbein, Martin, Rapkin, Bruce, Clatts, Michael, Mullen, Patricia Dolan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Am Public Health Assoc 01.08.2008; American Public Health Association
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Causality; Choice Behavior; Clinical trials; Confidence intervals; Employment; Environmental effects; Epidemiologic Research Design; Humans; Hurricanes; Intervention; Job hunting; Medical research; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Observational studies; Passive smoking; Prevention programs; Public Health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Qualitative Research; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Regression Analysis; Religious organizations; Reproducibility of Results; Research Innovations and Recommendations; Research Subjects - psychology; Studies; Tobacco smoke; Validity; Human; Clinical trial; Randomization; Public health

Public health researchers are addressing new research questions (e.g., effects of environmental tobacco smoke, Hurricane Katrina) for which the randomized controlled trial (RCT) may not be a feasible option. Drawing on the potential outcomes framework (Rubin Causal Model) and Campbellian perspective...