Resources for study personnel

How to register and maintain a study on UK-VCSR.

Getting started

Create a researcher account
Complete the structured submission form with the minimum dataset
Submit for curator review
Update your listing every six months and upon completion
Use Update on a published study to record recruitment changes, amendments, and — when recruitment is complete — outcomes achieved

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What projects should be registered

Adapted from HRA principles for defining research and RCVS guidance on research and routine veterinary practice.

Routine Veterinary Practice

Primary purpose: Diagnosis, treatment and welfare of an individual animal
Generates new knowledge: No
Generalisable: No
Animal benefit: Direct benefit
Registration on registry: No
Typical governance: Professional standards, owner consent, clinical governance

Clinical Audit

Primary purpose: Assess whether care meets a defined standard
Generates new knowledge: No
Generalisable: No
Animal benefit: Indirect
Registration on registry: No
Typical governance: Practice approval and governance oversight

Service Evaluation

Primary purpose: Assess effectiveness or efficiency of a service
Generates new knowledge: No
Generalisable: No
Animal benefit: Indirect
Registration on registry: No
Typical governance: Local governance approval

Practice-Based Surveillance

Primary purpose: Monitor disease occurrence and outcomes
Generates new knowledge: Usually no
Generalisable: Limited
Animal benefit: Population benefit
Registration on registry: No
Typical governance: Data governance, owner notification where appropriate

Clinical Veterinary Research

Primary purpose: Improve care whilst generating new knowledge
Generates new knowledge: Yes
Generalisable: Yes
Animal benefit: Direct clinical benefit anticipated
Registration on registry: Yes
Typical governance: Ethics review, informed owner consent, protocol, governance

Observational Research

Primary purpose: Generate knowledge without altering treatment
Generates new knowledge: Yes
Generalisable: Yes
Animal benefit: Variable
Registration on registry: Yes
Typical governance: Proportionate ethics review, consent where appropriate

Observation Research – behavioural

Primary purpose: Generate knowledge from observation in usual environment where animal lives (e.g. home, field, stable)
Generates new knowledge: Yes
Generalisable: Yes
Animal benefit: Variable
Registration on registry: Yes
Typical governance: Proportionate ethics review, consent where appropriate

Interventional Clinical Research

Primary purpose: Evaluate diagnostics, treatments or procedures
Generates new knowledge: Yes
Generalisable: Yes
Animal benefit: Potential benefit
Registration on registry: Yes
Typical governance: Ethics review, consent, monitoring, ATC (ASPA licence may be required – depending on primary intent and direct health benefit)

Use of Archived Samples/Data

Primary purpose: Generate knowledge from existing materials
Generates new knowledge: Yes
Generalisable: Yes
Animal benefit: No direct benefit
Registration on registry: Maybe(please contact registry for discussion)
Typical governance: Ethics and data governance considerations

Veterinary Public Health Research

Primary purpose: Improve animal and/or human health
Generates new knowledge: Yes
Generalisable: Yes
Animal benefit: Population benefit
Registration on registry: Yes
Typical governance: Ethics and regulatory review as required

ASPA-Regulated Research

Primary purpose: Generate scientific knowledge under ASPA
Generates new knowledge: Yes
Generalisable: Yes
Animal benefit: None
Registration on registry: Yes
Typical governance: ASPA licences, ethics review, regulatory approval

Activity type	Primary purpose	Generates new knowledge	Generalisable	Animal benefit	Registration on registry	Typical governance
Routine Veterinary Practice	Diagnosis, treatment and welfare of an individual animal	No	No	Direct benefit	No	Professional standards, owner consent, clinical governance
Clinical Audit	Assess whether care meets a defined standard	No	No	Indirect	No	Practice approval and governance oversight
Service Evaluation	Assess effectiveness or efficiency of a service	No	No	Indirect	No	Local governance approval
Practice-Based Surveillance	Monitor disease occurrence and outcomes	Usually no	Limited	Population benefit	No	Data governance, owner notification where appropriate
Clinical Veterinary Research	Improve care whilst generating new knowledge	Yes	Yes	Direct clinical benefit anticipated	Yes	Ethics review, informed owner consent, protocol, governance
Observational Research	Generate knowledge without altering treatment	Yes	Yes	Variable	Yes	Proportionate ethics review, consent where appropriate
Observation Research – behavioural	Generate knowledge from observation in usual environment where animal lives (e.g. home, field, stable)	Yes	Yes	Variable	Yes	Proportionate ethics review, consent where appropriate
Interventional Clinical Research	Evaluate diagnostics, treatments or procedures	Yes	Yes	Potential benefit	Yes	Ethics review, consent, monitoring, ATC (ASPA licence may be required – depending on primary intent and direct health benefit)
Use of Archived Samples/Data	Generate knowledge from existing materials	Yes	Yes	No direct benefit	Maybe (please contact registry for discussion)	Ethics and data governance considerations
Veterinary Public Health Research	Improve animal and/or human health	Yes	Yes	Population benefit	Yes	Ethics and regulatory review as required
ASPA-Regulated Research	Generate scientific knowledge under ASPA	Yes	Yes	None	Yes	ASPA licences, ethics review, regulatory approval

Minimum dataset

Study title, condition, species, lay summary
Primary and secondary objectives
Eligibility criteria, study type, randomisation (if applicable), recruitment status, start date, sample size, duration
Location(s), sponsor, funder, study contact person and email
Open to referrals from primary practices (yes/no)
Ethical and/or regulatory approvals, ethical considerations, ATC details, conflict of interest

Support with developing your study

Guidance on ethical review and preparing your submission is available from the RCVS Ethics Review Panel.

Submitting to RCVS Ethics and developing your submission

Browsing the registry remains open to everyone without an account. Browse studies