Objectives: Trials registers provide information about ongoing and completed trials, which are important for systematic reviews in order to reduce publication bias. Trials can be identified at an early stage and followed to completion. Trial protocols can be assessed for relevance and increasingly trial results are recorded.
Description: Trials registers present challenges in terms of their identification, efficient searching and record de-duplication and management. This workshop will offer practical advice on searching registers, documenting the search process and managing records. The workshop will begin with an overview of the development of trials registers, followed by online demonstrations of key registers highlighting their search features and downloading options. The Cochrane Register of Studies (CRS) Web clinical trials registry module will be demonstrated. The CRS Web contains an updated interface to ClinicalTrials.gov with enhanced integration between CT.Gov records and CRSD records, scheduling of searches and notifications when CT.Gov records change. There will be an opportunity to discuss possible future functionality for this feature. The workshop will be a mixture of presentations, demonstrations, group discussion and exchange of experience. There will be hands-on exercises if facilities permit or a discussion of search approaches for the less well-developed interfaces, if online access for the participants is not available.