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During the trial

Publication planning

Publication planning in a clinical trial involves developing a strategic plan for disseminating the results and findings through scientific publications, presentations and other methods.

Publication planning is about considering how and where the results and findings of the clinical trial will be effectively communicated to the scientific community, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders.

Preparing trial results for publication requires early planning to ensure that the scientific data are reported appropriately and in a timely manner. A transparent publication plan can help prevent publication bias – which is the inclination to publish only positive results.

Publishing allows you to effectively communicate your results, contribute to scientific knowledge, and enhance the impact and visibility of your work.

Consider:

Timing: WHO Public Disclosure of Clinical Trials Results state a clinical trial’s minimum findings are to be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal within 12 months of the study completing and are to be published through an open access mechanism, unless there is a specific reason, and be made publicly available within 24 months of study completion.
Where to publish: Consider where you will publish your results, such as conferences and journals and make early contact with the latter.
Packaging results: Carefully plan papers to avoid iterative publications, ensuring the main trial results are not reported by early papers. The main paper is to report the primary and secondary outcomes. Avoid outcome switching – changing the outcomes documented in the trial registry and protocol.
Manuscript preparation: Ensure manuscripts adhere to the guidelines provided in each journal’s instructions for authors.
Data sharing: Make your trial available for data sharing in Health Data Australia. This is done through a network of HeSANDA nodes.