Final answer:
Peer review is the formal process that helps in detecting and preventing research misconduct by scrutinizing the research for originality and quality before publication.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most likely strategy to detect and prevent research misconduct is peer review. Peer review is the formal process through which scientific research is checked for originality, significance, and rigour before being accepted into the scientific literature. This evaluation by other experts in the field helps ensure accuracy, improve the quality of published research, and prevent misconduct. In contrast, randomized control trials, cross-sectional studies, and surveys and questionnaires are research methodologies that could be subject to peer review but are not themselves mechanisms to prevent research misconduct.