# Searching for Clinical Trials

Elicit allows you to search both research papers and clinical trials. This guide explains how to effectively search and filter clinical trial data.

# Switching to Clinical Trials Search

**From the homepage**

- Select clinical trials in the search window when starting a Research Report, Systematic Review, or Find Papers workflow

![Screenshot of the Elicit homepage search window with the option to select clinical trials as the search corpus](https://elicit-e64f0748155d.intercom-attachments-1.com/i/o/sumscdci/2317687895/9cb5afa3bb8dad5d8102ffc1388c/7e1d02e6-b979-492d-a6cd-d5f8b2fcd506.png?expires=1789711200&signature=9ad47955b0338dc5e06c5d872e92827ef690782ae2366dd15295c3c0f05cf127&req=diMmEc92molWXPMW3nq%2BgahDTf9pzBkxKU86WVP15EOnDW%2BDX50tiPJSJ6TT%0AJ%2BqZkaX3K4yYrp78r0M92uzLnw0%3D%0A)

**From the Gather stage**

- Look for the corpus selector button (displays either "Research papers" or "Clinical trials")

- Click the button to open the dropdown menu

- Select "Clinical trials" from the options

![Screenshot of the corpus selector dropdown in the Gather stage showing Research papers and Clinical trials options](https://elicit-e64f0748155d.intercom-attachments-1.com/i/o/sumscdci/2317687958/df1ff31c76dd0ac270d27cc5cf36/4898d89e-1086-4d7b-81fd-c6af46f0848f.png?expires=1789711200&signature=c45ebee8366f098dcddca74a1a0d7bc95554ab8d72fb793bdcd9f2622742786f&req=diMmEc92mohaUfMW3nq%2BgW1kqF6ypODSB8ezAbdZIs6GcoCj0az%2FjeO1lf53%0AEg9Nx8KLL9JRIFeaayyxRTgkaLI%3D%0A)

**In a Research Agent session**

Research Agent sessions have no corpus selector. To keep a session to trials, say so in your prompt, for example "only use clinical trial registrations".

# Available Filters for Clinical Trials

Once you've selected clinical trials as your search corpus, specialized filters become available from the "Filters" button.

## Has Results

Filter to show only trials that have published results. Useful when you want to see completed studies with available outcomes data.

## Phase Filters

- **NA:** Not applicable

- **Early Phase 1:** Very early safety studies

- **Phase 1:** Initial safety and dosage studies

- **Phase 2:** Efficacy and side effects studies

- **Phase 3:** Large-scale effectiveness comparisons

- **Phase 4:** Post-market surveillance studies

## Recruitment Status

- **Active, not recruiting:** Study ongoing but not accepting new participants

- **Completed:** Study has ended normally

- **Enrolling by invitation:** Participants recruited by invitation only

- **Not yet recruiting:** Study registered but recruitment hasn't started

- **Recruiting:** Currently accepting participants

- **Suspended:** Study temporarily halted

- **Terminated:** Study ended early

- **Withdrawn:** Study withdrawn before enrolling participants

- **Available:** Expanded access studies

![Screenshot of the clinical trials filters panel showing phase and recruitment status filter options](https://elicit-e64f0748155d.intercom-attachments-1.com/i/o/sumscdci/2317688012/7f8f5490be1fc813d0ff5eb0bc01/0da101ca-78ed-4f9c-99b3-d78cdc9dda94.png?expires=1789711200&signature=65281c6739559af497fe9a59cfc161c9d7b4cbdf8713a03e8cfc711551017902&req=diMmEc92lYFeW%2FMW3nq%2BgRUcgmtMhyBs8WoVK6paoFq7I2cVYypa%2FHNBLUqB%0AE8dSR6rvVvd24cdgv8v2FrnKHqw%3D%0A)

## Publication Year

Filter clinical trials by registration or publication year. This filters by the *most recent* publish date, since trials can be updated multiple times.

# Limitations

- **Data Source:** Clinical trials data is sourced from [ClinicalTrials.gov](http://ClinicalTrials.gov), which primarily includes trials conducted in or by US-based institutions and sponsors. International trials may be underrepresented.

- **Search Capabilities:** Unlike research papers, clinical trials search focuses on the trial protocol and registration information rather than full-text results papers.

- **Results Availability:** The "Has Results" filter indicates whether results have been posted to [ClinicalTrials.gov](http://ClinicalTrials.gov). Many completed trials may have published results in journals not linked to the registry entry.

# When to Use Clinical Trials vs. Research Papers

**Use Clinical Trials search when:** looking for ongoing or planned studies, investigating specific interventions or drugs, understanding the research pipeline in a field, or finding trials for potential participation.

**Use Research Papers search when:** looking for published results and analyses, seeking systematic reviews or meta-analyses, wanting detailed methodology discussions, or needing peer-reviewed conclusions.

Switch between the two corpora at any time to get a full view of both the ongoing research and published findings in your area of interest.