A research project that follows the participants forward in time to identify future outcomes is referred to as

A research project that follows participants forward in time to identify future outcomes is referred to as a cohort study. This type of study design involves observing a group of individuals (the cohort) over a specified period to see how certain exposures or risk factors affect their outcomes. Researchers begin with the participants who are free of the outcome of interest at the start of the study and then track them over time, measuring how many experience the outcome based on different exposures or characteristics.

Cohort studies are particularly valuable in exploring causal relationships and determining the incidence of outcomes, as they allow for longitudinal data collection and can establish a temporal relationship between exposure and outcome. This approach contrasts with cross-sectional studies, which provide a snapshot of data at a single point in time, and case-control studies, which look backward, comparing those with the outcome to those without it. Quasi-experimental designs involve interventions but do not randomize subjects into groups, which further delineates them from cohort studies in terms of methodology.