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
University of Chicago Economist Jens Ludwig Testifies on Violence Reduction Research Before Illinois House Committee
The Illinois House Gun Violence Prevention Committee will today hear testimony from Dr. Jens Ludwig, who will detail violence reduction strategies from his book, “Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence.”
The Alumni Dispatch – This Didn’t Happen Overnight: Three CVILA Alumni Reflect on Chicago’s Progress
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) Program Manager Heather Bland sat down with Chicago alumni Pamela Montgomery-Bosley, Edwin Galletti, and Guillermo Gutierrez to explore how their leadership, lived experience, and daily work are reshaping public safety and advancing community violence intervention across Chicago.
How to get safer streets with tighter police budgets
Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton and Policing Leadership Academy Executive Director Ken Corey co-authored an op-ed about the importance of police leadership and ensuring police commanders are equipped with the tools to run modern, data-driven organizations.
