Editorial standards
How we research, write, and review the content on Clinical Trial Compass — and what we're still building.
Primary sources only
Every fact in our articles is traceable to a primary source: peer-reviewed literature, FDA or EMA guidance, or the public clinical trial registry. We do not summarise summaries.
Plain English, no marketing
We write for patients and caregivers, not clinicians or PhDs. We avoid jargon, and when a technical term is unavoidable we explain it inline. We never use language that promotes a specific trial, drug, or treatment.
Clinical review
We are recruiting board-certified physicians to review each article for accuracy, completeness, and appropriateness before publication. Articles awaiting that review are labelled as such — we do not hide the gap.
Updated when the evidence changes
If the underlying clinical or regulatory evidence changes — a new FDA guideline, a major retraction, a shift in standard of care — we update the article and reset the review date. Each article shows its last updated date prominently.
Our clinical reviewer panel
We are currently recruiting board-certified physicians across oncology, internal medicine, neurology, and primary care to review our Learn content. Reviewers are credited by name and credentials on each article they verify.
Articles that have not yet been reviewed by a clinician carry a visible "Editorial team only — pending clinical review" badge. We don't fake credentials we don't have.
Are you a licensed clinician?We'd love to talk. Email editorial@clinicaltrialcompass.org with your CV and area of practice.
What we don't do
- We do not accept payment, sponsorship, or referral fees from drug companies, clinical sponsors, or contract research organisations.
- We do not place ads on Learn articles.
- We do not write articles in response to PR pitches.
- We do not modify the underlying trial or adverse event data shown elsewhere on the site.
- We do not give medical advice, make treatment recommendations, or interpret data for a specific patient's situation.
Corrections
If you find an error in any of our articles, please tell us: corrections@clinicaltrialcompass.org. We aim to acknowledge corrections within two business days and publish updates with a visible "Corrected on [date]" note.