what is the gold standard for research study design

The "gold standard" for experimental studies is the prospective, double-blind, placebo- control group design, also referred to as clinical trials or therapeutic trials. In double-blind experimental studies, neither the researchers nor the subjects are aware to which group they are randomly assigned.

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the highest level of evidence to establish causal associations in clinical research. There are many RCT designs and features that can be selected to address a research hypothesis.

While expensive and time consuming, RCTs are the gold-standard for studying causal relationships as randomization eliminates much of the bias inherent with other study designs. To provide true assessment of causality RCTs need to be conducted appropriately (i.e. having concealment of allocation, ITT analysis and blinding when appropriate) Footnotes

This type of study design is considered gold standard for epidemiological research. However, this study design is generally not applicable to rare and serious disease process as it would unethical to treat that group with a placebo.

Randomised controlled trials - the gold standard for effectiveness research: Study design: randomised controlled trials BJOG . 2018 Dec;125(13):1716. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.15199.

They are ubiquitously referred to as the “gold standard” of empirical biomedical investigation, to the point where this status is often presented as a self-evident starting point in diagnostic or therapeutic evaluation.

Well-designed and implemented randomized controlled trials are considered the "gold standard" for evaluating an intervention's effectiveness, in fields such as medicine, welfare and employment policy, and psychology. 7 This section discusses what a randomized controlled trial is, and outlines evidence indicating that such trials should play a ...

Decades ago, regulators and clinical researchers deemed randomised controlled trials (RCTs) as the “gold standard” in clinical research, in a bid to shape the lucrative pharmaceutical marketplace.

The randomized controlled trial (RCT) is considered the "gold standard" experimental research design. Randomized controlled trials allow for researchers to establish causal associations between predictor, confounding, and outcome variables.

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are the reference standard for studying causal relationships between interventions and outcomes as randomisation eliminates much of the bias inherent with other study designs.