Clinical Research Glossary
Home|Clinical Research Glossary

Helping you understand clinical research

The Clinical Research Glossary offers easy to understand clinical research definitions. 

All definitions are developed by the MRCT Center and a committed team of patient advocates and other professionals in medicine and research.  Before definitions are released, they are reviewed by members of the public.

The Clinical Research Glossary started as a pilot project in 2020 and is now a CDISC global standard for clear communication. This means that more and more groups are learning about and using this resource.

Welcome! We hope this resource is helpful to you.

Learn More Get Involved Meet the Team
Download
Download the Glossary PDF Download the Glossary Excel
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
a
  • additive effect -

    The combined effect when two or more things are used together.

  • adherence -

    Following the study directions and requirements.

  • adverse event -

    Any health problem that happens during the study.

  • adverse reaction -

    A health problem that happens during the study and is reported as possibly caused by the study treatment.

  • analyze -

    To examine study data to answer a question and help reach conclusions.

  • anonymize -

    Remove, change, or hide personal details to protect participant privacy.

  • antigen -

    A substance that causes the body's immune system to react.

  • arm -

    A group of participants in a research study who all receive the same study treatment.

  • assent -

    Willingness to take part in a research study by someone who is not able to give legal consent.

  • assent form -

    A document used to explain the details of a research study to children or people who are unable to give legal consent.

  • assessment -

    Information that is collected and analyzed from a study participant.

b
c
d
e
f
  • frequency -

    How often something happens over a period of time.

g
h
  • hazard ratio -

    A measure of risk that compares two treatments in the same study.

  • healthy volunteer -

    A study participant who does not have a disease or condition, including the one being studied.

  • hereditary -

    A parent's features and traits being passed to their biological children before birth.

  • hypothesis -

    An idea that is tested in a research study.

i
l
m
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) -

    A way to take pictures of the inside of a person’s body with a machine that uses strong magnets and radio waves.

  • maximum -

    The most or largest amount.

  • mean -

    The average.

  • median -

    The middle number in a set of numbers when listed in order from lowest to highest.

  • minimal -

    Very small.

  • minimum -

    The smallest or least amount.

  • monitor -

    To observe, check, or evaluate something in a study over time.

  • morbidity (rate) -

    The number of people who develop a disease or illness in a group over time.

  • mortality (rate) -

    The number of deaths in a group of people over time.

  • multicenter trial -

    A study that takes place at more than one research center.

n
  • negative test result -

    A test result that shows a person does not have what was tested for.

  • negligible -

    So small that it has little to no impact.

  • non-compliance -

    Not following research requirements.

  • non-inferiority trial -

    A study to test if a study treatment works about as well as another treatment for the same condition.

o
p
q
r
s
t
  • treatment effect -

    How much a study treatment changes a condition, symptom, or function.

u
  • umbrella trial -

    A research study that tests and compares two or more study treatments for one disease or condition.

v
w
  • wash-out -

    A time before starting a study treatment when a person stops taking other medicines.

  • withdraw -

    To stop being a participant in a study.

x
  • X-ray -

    A way of taking pictures of the inside of a person's body using X-ray radiation.