Our Methodology
✍️ By PayTrials Editorial Team — Last reviewed March 2026
How we source, vet, and maintain our clinical trial database
✍️ By PayTrials Editorial Team — Last reviewed March 2026
How we source, vet, and maintain our clinical trial database
PayTrials aggregates clinical trial information from multiple authoritative sources. Our primary data source is the ClinicalTrials.gov API, the official registry and results database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. ClinicalTrials.gov is mandated by federal law—studies conducted in the United States that meet certain criteria must be registered there. This makes it the most comprehensive and authoritative public database of clinical trials in the world.
We also maintain direct partnerships with research facilities that provide us with study details, compensation information, and enrollment status. These partnerships allow us to surface information that may not be fully detailed on public registries. Our database is refreshed regularly to ensure we capture new studies as they are posted and remove or update studies that have closed or changed.
ClinicalTrials.gov serves as our foundational source because it is government-operated, free to access, and requires sponsors to submit standardized information. Every study we list can be traced back to a registered trial, providing transparency and accountability.
We verify that studies come from legitimate, regulated research environments. Every study displayed on PayTrials must be associated with an IRB-approved protocol. Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) are independent committees that review and approve research involving human participants to ensure ethical standards and participant safety.
We confirm that studies fall under FDA regulation where applicable. Drug and device trials in the United States are overseen by the Food and Drug Administration, which enforces strict requirements for safety monitoring, informed consent, and protocol adherence. We cross-reference facility information to ensure studies are conducted at recognized research sites.
We monitor facility reputation through public records, accreditation status, and participant feedback when available. While we cannot guarantee the conduct of any individual facility, we prioritize listing studies from established research organizations with track records of compliance. Learn more about our platform in our About Us page.
Compensation figures are gathered through direct outreach to research coordinators, cross-referencing published study protocols, and participant-reported data where permitted. Research facilities often disclose compensation ranges in their recruitment materials or protocol summaries. We aggregate this information and display it in a consistent format so you can compare opportunities.
When compensation is not publicly available, we may contact research sites to request this information. We conduct regular accuracy audits to identify and correct outdated or erroneous compensation data. Because compensation can change due to protocol amendments or facility policies, we encourage participants to confirm amounts during the screening process.
Our database undergoes daily refreshes to pull the latest study information from ClinicalTrials.gov and our partner sources. We use automated processes to flag studies that have closed enrollment or reached completion, and we remove or update these listings accordingly.
An editorial review process ensures that high-traffic or featured studies receive additional verification. Our team reviews flagged discrepancies, participant reports, and facility updates to maintain data quality. Studies that no longer meet our standards are removed from the platform.
We do not accept payment for study placement. Research facilities cannot pay us to feature their studies or to rank them higher in search results. All listings are ordered and displayed based on relevance to your search criteria, recency, and other objective factors—never on advertiser relationships.
We do not promote studies based on which sponsors or sites advertise with us. Our study discovery experience is designed to serve participants first, providing unbiased access to opportunities that match their location, health profile, and preferences. Our revenue model does not depend on directing you to particular studies.
PayTrials operates with editorial independence. Our content team creates educational articles, guides, and study descriptions without influence from sponsors or research sites. We maintain a clear separation between our informational content and any third-party advertising on the platform.
We follow a fact-checking process for all published content. Claims about compensation ranges, eligibility criteria, and study procedures are verified against primary sources when possible. When errors are identified, we correct them promptly and note significant corrections where appropriate. Our Blog provides additional resources on clinical trial participation.
If you have questions about our methodology, spot an error in our data, or want to suggest improvements, we welcome your feedback. Contact our editorial team at info@paytrials.com. You can also browse our studies to explore the current database.