Randomized Controlled Trials
Randomized controlled trials are the gold standard in research, producing causal evidence about the efficacy and impact of policies and programs.
A randomized controlled trial, or RCT, is considered the gold standard in research. A RCT is a rigorous study that randomly assigns participants to either a “treatment group” who are offered the intervention, or a “control group” who have access to all other services except for the intervention. By measuring what would have happened to the treatment group without the intervention, an RCT lets researchers isolate the effect of the intervention itself.
The Crime Lab uses RCTs as our preferred method of project evaluation wherever possible. While RCTs can be time and resource intensive, they generate high-quality results to ensure that our partners and policymakers can make informed decisions about how to best support communities affected by gun violence.
Latest Updates
Unraveling the Threads of America’s Gun Culture
Megan Kang, a Crime Lab affiliate and Ph.D. candidate in sociology at Princeton University, outlines new historical evidence that charts the growth in firearm ownership.
Chicago nonprofits gather to discuss progress, solutions for gun violence
CBS Chicago’s Darius Johnson speaks with the Crime Lab’s Kim Smith and Dar’tavous Dorsey about the goals of the event, which hosted nearly 50 nonprofits from every corner of Chicago for its first gun violence prevention expo.
Strides for Peace to debut Gun Violence Prevention Expo
Strides for Peace hosted a new expo focusing on gun violence prevention in Chicago, featuring an information session from the Crime Lab’s Chico Tillmon.