Research words,
human explanations.

Adverse event

An unfavorable health event during a study. It does not automatically mean the study treatment caused it.

Baseline

Information collected near the start of participation that can be used for later comparisons.

Blinding

Keeping an assigned study treatment unknown to specified people during the study. Also called masking.

Caregiver

A person who provides practical, emotional or other support. Ask what role a study permits or requires.

Clinical trial

Research in people that studies an intervention, such as a medicine, device or approach to care.

Compensation

A payment for study participation under study-specific terms. It is different from reimbursement of a documented expense.

Consent document

Written study information used during the informed consent process. Keep the copy provided to you.

Control group

A comparison group used to help researchers interpret study findings.

Eligibility criteria

The study’s requirements for who may participate. The research team must confirm whether they are met.

Enrollment

Joining a study under its specific requirements. An inquiry or prescreening is not the same step.

Exclusion criteria

Factors that prevent participation in a particular study, even if other requirements are met.

Follow-up

Study contact or assessment after an earlier visit, treatment or participation stage.

Inclusion criteria

Requirements a person generally must meet to enter a particular study.

Informed consent

The ongoing process of receiving study information, asking questions and deciding whether to participate.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

A committee that reviews human research to help protect participant rights and welfare.

Investigational product

A product being studied. Its use in a trial does not by itself mean it is approved for that use.

NCT number

The identifier beginning with NCT assigned to a registered study on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Observational study

Research that collects information without assigning participants to an intervention as part of the study design.

Placebo

An inactive comparison product used in some studies. Ask whether it is part of the study you are considering.

Principal investigator

The investigator responsible for the conduct of the study at a research site.

Protocol

The written study plan describing its purpose, methods and participation requirements.

Randomization

Assigning study groups by chance, rather than by a participant’s or clinician’s choice.

Reimbursement

Repayment of an eligible expense under a study’s rules, sometimes requiring receipts or prior approval.

Screening

Study-specific checks used to determine whether participation requirements are met.

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