All research results whether they are positive, negative, neutral or inconclusive, should be made publicly available within 12 months of study completion.
The UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research says:
Other than research for educational purposes and early phase trials, the findings, whether positive or negative, [should be] made accessible, with adequate consent and privacy safeguards, in a timely manner after they have finished.
Where study results should be published
Summary results including key outcomes should be posted to the results section of the registry where the research project is registered.
Read more about registration of clinical trials.
If the register used does not have a results section, the results should be posted on a free-to-access, publicly available, searchable institutional website of the sponsor, funder or chief investigator.
Any findings that are submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal should be published within 12 months of study completion. This should be done through an open-access mechanism which means anyone can access the findings without having to pay to access the journal website.
Why it is important to make research results public
Making the results of research publicly available is important because it builds trust and accountability.
It also helps reduce research waste, crossover and duplication.
When research is carried out openly and transparently, everyone will be able to see what research is happening and the outcomes from finished studies.
This will help make sure that participants are not recruited to studies unnecessarily and that research funding is maximised.
Writing a plain language (lay) summary of your research findings
Information about research findings should be available to those who took part in the study, interested groups or communities and the general public, in a format that is accessible and easy to understand.
As part of the HRA’s transparency strategy we ask research sponsors to include a plain language summary of their findings in their final report which will be published on our website alongside the study research summaries.
Making this information available in a format that is easy to understand helps build trust in research.
It also makes it easier for health professionals, commissioners, policy makers and funders to access and use the findings to help make informed decisions.
How to write a good plain language summary of your research
We have written guidance which outlines the key things you need to consider when writing a plain language (lay) summary of your research findings.
This e-learning module also helps explain how to write a plain language summary of your research findings.
It sets out key points to consider and the information that you should provide.
When your study has ended, you should send a Final Report to the REC to notify them that your study has finished.
This is a requirement across the UK for all project-based research studies that have been reviewed by a REC within the UK Health Departments' Research Ethics Service.
The information contained in your Final Report helps the Research Ethics Service to monitor whether the research was conducted in accordance with the REC favourable opinion and applicable transparency requirements.
For more information please see the 'Ending your project' section of the HRA website.
Submitting a final report
When to submit your final report
You should submit your Final Report within 12 months of the conclusion of the end of study.
How to submit a final report
You can submit a final report by completing this form.
If you have a CTIMP for combined review please visit IRAS.
One of the fields in the final report asks for a lay summary of results. Guidance on how to write the lay summary of results is available on the HRA website.
The lay summary of results provided in this form will be published alongside the research summary record on the Research Summaries section of the HRA website.
The HRA may also publish aggregate data collected from the Final Reports on the HRA website, as part of our annual research transparency reporting. This will not contain any personally identifiable information.
Further information is available in the HRA privacy notice.