Peer Review

Clinical Trials. gov

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Oct 19, 2014 by Health Sciences

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

"ClinicalTrials.gov is a registry of federally and privately supported clinical trials conducted in the United States and around the world. ClinicalTrials.gov gives you information about a trial's purpose, who may participate, locations, and phone numbers for more details. This information should be used in conjunction with advice from health care professionals."

Type of Material:

This resource is a reference.

Recommended Uses:

This tool would be an excellent supplementary resource in a graduate-level research methods course. The tool could be used to supply future researchers with guidance on study design, funding, and execution.

Technical Requirements:

The user needs a computer with Internet access and a Web browser.

Identify Major Learning Goals:

The implied learning goals are:

Keep public, families, caregivers and health care professionals up to date on research being conducted
Disseminate research findings
Learn how to search for research studies Understanding the difference between clinical and observational studies

Target Student Population:

The target student population includes researchers, health care professionals, families, caregivers, potential participants, and graduate students.

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

There are no pre-requisites listed, however, research studies contain technical language and advanced education is a bonus.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: Presentation of study information is concise and factual as of the time of information submission. It is easy to use, clear links to guide user. There is a tutorial provided on how to use the site, with explanations of research terms.
Concerns:: Some study information provided may be dated and no longer accurate as study designs are modified through pilot phases. When studies go into full action, changes to protocol information on the ClinicalTrials.gov site may lag.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: ClinicalTrials.gov is excellent as a tool for leading individuals to basic information about clinical trials in the United States.
Concerns:: Short study descriptions accompanying each study listing may not offer enough information for students wanting to learn more about the study's design and for would-be participants and their carers wondering if the study might be right for them. While links to the official websites or researcher contact information are provided when available, the limited information provided through this initial portal may inadvertently discourage some users from finding out more about particular studies well suited to their needs. Conversely, individuals may focus on some studies that, due to the brevity of their description, appear to meet their needs but do not.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: The site is very easy to navigate in regard to moving between pages. Single word searching works well. Options of finding studies by type and location are helpful.
Concerns:: Use of case-sensitive boolean operators (like AND) in the searching function may prove confusing for many users.

Other Issues and Comments:: This tool may not be optimum for inclusion in many classrooms as it is not specifically set as an educational tool, but rather an information conduit.
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