Now that CENTRAL indexes clinical trials registry records, should I still search ClinicalTrials.gov?
Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) is an ongoing dream for systematic reviewers interested in finding all randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in one place. A one-stop-shop. As part of the efforts to be as inclusive as possible, CENTRAL started including records of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) from other sources such as MEDLINE, Embase, KoreaMed, CINAHL, ClinicalTrials.gov, and WHO ICTRP (World Health Organisation’s International Clinical Trials Registry Portal). Leave alone that the negotiation team must have done a brilliant job convincing the publishers/owners to contribute to CENTRAL, the outcome is not always what we expect.
The question if CENTRAL is enough has been brought out within the Cochrane Information Specialists’ community at least three times (1, 2, 3), and each time, we hesitate to replace ClinicalTrials.gov with CENTRAL.
Here I summarise why searching CENTRAL and ClinicalTrials.gov are very different and what to consider before making your final decision on searching CENTRAL or CENTRAL plus ClinicalTrials.gov.
