background: clinical trial is the standard method to assess efficacy of a medical intervention. because of its experimental nature, meaning that subjects are exposed to an intervention with uncertain outcome and according to historical evidences of criminal researches, clinical trial is of something of a lightning rod for ethical concerns. ethical issues surrounding clinical trials are very per...

A simulated intervention (often a drug but potentially other interventions) used as a control/comparison in research studies. As suggested in the title of a book on the subject (Shapiro & Shapiro, 2000), the effects of such treatment can be powerful (what is termed to placebo response or effect). In drug studies, for example, the use of a placebo (inert agent that is packaged so as to be indist...