Understand the process
STARTDefinitions, participation flow, and the basic structure of clinical research for prospective participants.
Clinical research participation, explained clearly
A practical guide to evaluating clinical research opportunities.
Clinical Forage helps prospective participants understand screening, burden, compensation, and legitimacy before they commit time, travel, or personal information.
SCREENING
BURDEN
COMPENSATION
VERIFICATION
Visits
Count & duration
Procedures
Labs, imaging, diaries
Logistics
Travel & timing windows
Payments
Terms & timing
Choose a path
Four practical entry points, depending on what you need first.
Evaluate safety and fit
VERIFYRed flags, credibility checks, screening preparation, and practical decision criteria.
Find and compare studies
SEARCHWorkflow for locating studies, interpreting listings, and comparing burden, logistics, and compensation.
Understand compensation
PRACTICALHow participant compensation is commonly structured, what to clarify, and how to document payments.
Featured current examples
Official listings presented as examples of how to evaluate fit, burden, and verification questions.
Optimizing Sleep Health in Nurses (OSHIN)
RECRUITINGStudy ID
NCT05965609
Focus
Behavioral sleep intervention for night-shift nurses
What to verify
Eligibility for shift workers, session timing, sleep-tracking requirements
The DREAM Study
RECRUITINGStudy ID
NCT06285968
Focus
Sleep-health intervention and cardiometabolic outcomes
What to verify
Intervention duration, monitoring tasks, in-person versus remote requirements
Featured guide
ESSENTIALIf you only read one page before contacting a site, start with the screening guide. It covers consent review, common assessments, and the questions that reduce surprises.
Read Screening GuideField Notes
CASE STYLEPrivacy-protecting, case-style notes that illustrate practical decision points without exposing real identities.
Read Field NotesEvergreen guides
Original reference articles meant to answer the questions people usually have before they participate.
How to Evaluate a Study Listing
What to extract first, what is usually missing, and how to ask the right follow-up questions.
Read guideCommon Exclusion Criteria That Surprise Participants
Why medications, lab findings, recent research participation, and schedules can affect eligibility.
Read guideTravel, Timing Windows, and Participant Burden
Why the real burden of a study often comes from combinations of demands, not just visit count.
Read guideWhat Clinical Forage is and is not
A simple framing section to make the purpose of the site immediately clear.
What it is
YES- A practical participant guide
- A source-verification and screening-prep resource
- A site focused on burden, logistics, and informed decisions
What it is not
NO- Not medical advice
- Not a sponsor or recruitment agency
- Not a promise of eligibility or compensation
Burden snapshot
A quick directional tool for thinking through practical burden before you get attached to a study listing.
0
Burden score
Moderate
How to read this
This is not a medical or scientific metric. It is a practical planning aid for comparing the operational weight of a study.
Interpretation
Worth comparing carefully against your work, travel, and follow-up tolerance.
New: Insights
PERSPECTIVEShort essays that focus on hidden burden, the meaning of compensation, and why professionalism predicts clarity.
Read InsightsExpanded: Field Notes
BOTH SIDESField Notes now includes composite stories from both participant and administrator perspectives.
Read Field Notes