Why you should register
Registering your clinical trial means:
- people can find out about it
- healthcare providers can identify trials relevant for their patients.
Make sure the general title and summary are brief, clear, and written in plain English so they are easy for people to understand.
When to register
Clinical trials must be registered before you enrol your first participant. This is known as prospective trial registration and improves research transparency. It is:
- a requirement of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research
- a requirement of the Declaration of Helsinki
- considered a ‘scientific, ethical and moral responsibility’ by the World Health Organization
- required by the International Committee of Medical Journals Editors (ICMJE) before they will publish your results.
Register your trial as soon as possible, in a clinical trial registry. The Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) recommends registering at the same time as you apply for ethics approval.
A clinical trial registry is a publicly accessible database that contains details about your trial, including:
- the design
- conduct and administration information
- contact details
- trial status.
How to register
Researchers can register their trial on the ANZCTR website, which includes information on how to register.