Just over 75 per cent of clinical studies registered after one year

All research involving humans must be registered before it starts.

“Strictly speaking, our guidelines for study registration only clarify what researchers who comply with good research practice are already expected to do. Ensuring all clinical studies are registered is important for many reasons, not least to promote effective research collaborations and to reduce the risk of repeating research unnecessarily,” says Jonas Oldgren, Secretary General for Clinical Research at the Swedish Research Council.

The guidelines are complied with by the majority

For 75 per cent of the studies awarded funding in 2022, the grant recipients report that the studies are registered and have started. 23 per cent state that they are still at the planning or start-up stage, or alternatively that study registration will be done. 2 per cent of the studies have not yet been registered, despite reportedly having started.

“It is gratifying that the majority are following our guidelines, but the goal is of course that all clinical studies shall be registered, irrespective of who is responsible for the study, or who funds the research. To close the circle, it is also important that all completed clinical studies are reported and published, so that the results actually do reach out and create benefit. This, of course, applies also to those clinical studies that do not show results according to the original hypothesis,” says Jonas Oldgren.