Trial registration
In Regulatory & approvals
Also known as: ClinicalTrials.gov, registry entry
Trial registration is publicly recording a trial's existence and design in a recognized registry before it starts enrolling. ClinicalTrials.gov and the EU register are the best known, and the WHO maintains a network of primary registries. Registration is required by law in many jurisdictions, and major journals will not publish an unregistered trial.
Why it matters
It is the main defense against publication bias — trials that fail cannot quietly disappear if their existence was recorded up front.
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