RTC Reductionism

The methodological stance that the only trustworthy form of evidence comes from Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), and that all claims about causality, efficacy, or truth should be determined via RCTs. It is a form of methodological reductionism common in evidence-based medicine, economics, and some social sciences. RTC reductionism holds that observational studies, qualitative research, expert opinion, and historical analysis are inherently inferior or worthless. Critics argue that many important questions (e.g., the effects of smoking, the impact of macroeconomics) cannot be ethically or practically studied by RCTs. Over-reliance on RCTs can lead to narrow, context-blind policy and neglect of mechanisms, side effects, and long-term outcomes.

Example: “The RTC reductionist dismissed the qualitative study of poverty as ‘unscientific’ because it had no control group. The sociologist responded, ‘You cannot randomize people into poverty to study its effects—RTC reductionism is a luxury of well-funded, controllable domains.’”

RTC Reductionism by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal June 1, 2026