ISRCTN registration

The International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) is a simple numeric system for the unique identification of clinical trials worldwide. Please see the ISRCTN register website for more information. The Department of Health (DH) funds ISRCTN registration for eligible NIHR CRN Portfolio studies.

Why register

ISRCTN registration is not mandatory but the DH's "registration of clinical trials and public access to findings" policy strongly encourages voluntary registration of trials and other well designed studies on publicly accessible registers.

ISRCTN registration allows you to:

• Comply with international guidelines from the World Health Organisation (WHO), International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT): ISRCTN is fully compliant
• Register any trial and study design regardless of country or healthcare area: ISRCTN is open to all
• Register trials in bulk or individually: ISRCTN offers convenience and flexibility to researchers and research funders/sponsors
• Keep details of your research up-to-date: ISRCTN records can be updated on request, making sure they are not missed out by systematic reviewers
• Link your trials to their results: Trial IDs can be quoted in article abstracts and indexed by PubMed, allowing publications to link back to their initial registration
• Maximise exposure for your research: ISRCTN content is fully and openly accessible. UK trial records are automatically fed into the WHO international platform, ensuring international as well as national visibility
• Join a growing number of researchers and funding bodies using the ISRCTN including: The DH in England and Wales, the UK Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.

How to register

Register new studies included in the portfolio database using the Modify a Study Wizard function when you provide study information.

On the Basics page, a message next to the question “Would you like to register this study for an ISRCTN" will provide further information on whether your study is eligible for ISRCTN registration funded by the DH.