title: Practical and conceptual issues of clinical trial registration for Brazilian researchers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Clinical trial registration is a prerequisite for publication in respected scientific journals. Recent Brazilian regulations also require registration of some clinical trials in the Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (ReBEC) but there is little information available about practical issues involved in the registration process. This article discusses the importance of clinical trial registration and the practical issues involved in this process.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive study conducted by researchers within a postgraduate program at a public university in São Paulo, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information was obtained from clinical trial registry platforms, article reference lists and websites (last search: September 2014) on the following topics: definition of a clinical trial, history, purpose and importance of registry platforms, the information that should be registered and the registration process.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinical trial registration aims to avoid publication bias and is required by Brazilian journals indexed in LILACS and SciELO and by journals affiliated to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Recent Brazilian regulations require that all clinical trials (phases I to IV) involving new drugs to be marketed in this country must be registered in ReBEC. The pros and cons of using different clinical trial registration platforms are discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinical trial registration is important and various mechanisms to enforce its implementation now exist. Researchers should take into account national regulations and publication requirements when choosing the platform on which they will register their trial.
authors: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Carolina Gomes
authors: CG
authors: Freitas
authors: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Thomas Fernando Coelho
authors: TF
authors: Pesavento
authors: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Maurício Reis
authors: MR
authors: Pedrosa
authors: Department of Evidence-Based Medicine, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Rachel
authors: R
authors: Riera
authors: Department of Evidence-Based Medicine, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Maria Regina
authors: MR
authors: Torloni
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D017594:Publication Bias; D012042:Registries / Q000592:standards*; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000458:organization & administration; D013997:Time Factors