Frequently asked questions

About Current Controlled Trials
Who is Current Controlled Trials Ltd?
What is the Science Navigation Group?
Who is behind the Current Controlled Trials website?
As access to the Current Controlled Trials site is free, how is it funded?
Does Current Controlled Trials receive commercial sponsorship?
What is the relationship between Current Controlled Trials and BioMed Central?

Q. Who is Current Controlled Trials Ltd?
A. Current Controlled Trials Ltd is part of the Science Navigation Group of biomedical publishing companies. In response to the growing body of opinion in favour of prospective registration of controlled trials, Current Controlled Trials Ltd launched the Current Controlled Trials website in late 1998, aiming to increase the availability, and promote the exchange, of information about ongoing randomised controlled trials worldwide. The company has the benefit of guidance from an international Advisory Group.

Q. What is the Science Navigation Group?
A. The Science Navigation Group is a group of independent publishing companies that collaborate closely with each other to publish information and develop services for doctors, biologists and other scientists. The Group, at the forefront of innovation in science publishing for the past 15 years, has its head office in London (UK), with additional offices in Philadelphia, Chicago, Geneva, Amsterdam, Oslo and Tel Aviv.

Q. Who is behind the Current Controlled Trials website?
A. Current Controlled Trials is run by an editorial and technical in-house team. It has the benefit of advice from an international Advisory Group, including academics, doctors and health care specialists of international renown. The Advisory Group provides valuable guidance on the current activities and possible new directions of Current Controlled Trials' two main projects, the metaRegister of Controlled Trials and the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) scheme.

Q. As access to the Current Controlled Trials site is free, how is it funded?
A. The Current Controlled Trials site was initially funded by the Science Navigation Group for four years. The company is committed to providing free and open access to information about ongoing randomised controlled trials, and this remains the guiding principle behind the company's activities. Following the failure of the company's 2001/2002 bid for three years' funding from the European Union, Current Controlled Trials decided it must look to trial sponsors and other register-holders to support the effort to provide information on ongoing trials free to the user. Current Controlled Trials continues to explore other sources of income, including building and maintaining registers for outside organisations.

From October 2002, organisations wishing to include their register in the metaRegister of Controlled Trials have been asked to contribute to the costs of processing, indexing and displaying the information and ensuring it is available free to the user. For information on the scale of charges, please contact info@controlled-trials.com. From 2003 an administrative fee has been charged for assigning ISRCTNs to trials. For information on the scale of charges, please contact isrctn@controlled-trials.com.

Q. Does Current Controlled Trials receive commercial sponsorship?
A. No. The Current Controlled Trials website is run by Current Controlled Trials Ltd (part of the Science Navigation Group). Advertising is welcome on the site as a whole, but a commitment has been made that no advertisements will appear within the metaRegister of Controlled Trials.

Q. What is the relationship between Current Controlled Trials and BioMed Central?
A. Both are sister companies in the Science Navigation Group. BioMed Central is an independent publishing house committed to providing immediate free access to peer-reviewed biomedical research. Peer review means that articles submitted for publication are scrutinised by independent experts in the field, before being accepted, rejected or subjected to revision. The system is designed to ensure that the research published is 'good science'.

Please let us know if you have any questions that you would like us to answer and then add to this section.

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