Final answer:
A randomized controlled study is the most appropriate method for determining the effect of perioperative shaving methods on postoperative wound infection rates, due to its high level of evidence and ability to reduce biases.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best method for assessing whether different methods of perioperative shaving have an effect on postoperative wound infection rates would be e. randomized controlled study. This type of study allows the researcher to randomly assign participants to one or another shaving method, reducing the risk of bias and enabling a more precise determination of any causal relationships between the shaving method and infection rates. Randomized controlled studies provide the highest level of evidence in experimental research due to their ability to isolate the variable of interest and their potential to demonstrate causality.