Hobbs, T., Carr, M. J., Holley, M. J., Gray, N. L. and Axford, N. (2008) ‘A dark art comes to the water-cooler: a review of some key texts on RCTs for children’s services professionals and researchers’, Journal of Children’s Services 3 (1), 40-50.

Abstract

The need for randomised controlled trials (RCT) to support evidence-based services to improve outcomes for children is increasingly recognised by researchers and policy makers. This brings a requirement to build research capacity for conducting RCTs and to address the concerns of practitioners who may be suspicious about the method. This article reviews a variety of texts on RCTs, ranging from analyses of the historical and political context of RCTs, to concise introductions of key methodological and practical issues, to more in-depth discussions of complex designs and statistics. This article seeks to help readers navigate these resources by focusing on seven questions that seem particularly salient for those considering whether and how to commission, undertake, participate in or use results from RCTs.

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