Which study design provides a temporal relationship between exposure and disease?

A cohort study follows a defined population forward in time from exposure to outcome, which establishes a clear temporal sequence (exposure preceding disease). Case-control studies look backward from disease to exposure (raising recall/temporal ambiguity), and cross-sectional studies capture a single point in time with no inherent temporal sequence. (An RCT also has temporality, but it isn't the best-fit answer when comparing against the classic observational study designs being tested here, since cohort is the textbook answer for 'establishes temporality' among observational designs.)