Research transparency

Being transparent about your research builds trust and ensures ethical practice. It enables participants, researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and funders to:

• Discover what studies are happening and their outcomes
• Support informed decision-making
• Build upon previous research to avoid duplication

Researchers, sponsors, and funders must uphold transparency in four key areas:

1. Registering research
2. Reporting results
3. Notifying participants of outcomes
4. Sharing study data and tissue

At the design stage - plan for transparency from the outset - whether it’s registering the study, producing lay summaries, or considering how results will be communicated.

After completion - share results - positive or negative - within 12 months via registries or publicly accessible, open-access platforms.

Communicate clearly - offer plain-language (lay) summaries so participants and the public can understand and engage with research findings.

The HRA’s 'Make It Public' initiative promotes a culture where transparency is easy, expected, and visible:

• Automating clinical trial registration using submitted approval data
• Prompting timely reporting of results
• Enabling meaningful feedback to participants

Research participants often express frustration when they don’t hear about study results. The strategy responds directly to this feedback by promoting the timely and understandable publication of findings.