Sharing Research Results with Participants

In general, sharing the aggregate results of the study with participants after the study is closed is positively viewed as a way to honor the participant's decision to take part in the research and altruistically contribute to the social benefit gained by answering the study question.

Although you may have participants interested to know the results of their individual data after participating, in most cases you are not obligated to release their individual data to participants. If you choose to do so, please do so carefully; if the participants’ data are linked together (for example, in a group interview or group exercise), releasing data may violate the confidentiality of the other participants. 

If you indicate in your advertising, consent forms, or other documentation for the study that you will share results with participants, please follow through with this obligation. 

Situations in which it would be advisable to consider sharing the final results could include (but are not limited to) collecting an oral report, life history, or detailed interview about an individual’s personal experiences that they may be interested in preserving for their own use, or providing information that may have a significant impact on an individual’s health or medical care choices particularly if this information was not previously known. 

However, unless otherwise specified by the Board or required by legal action, it is researcher’s decision as to whether data should be released to the participants.

For more information, see he U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has guidelines and recommendations regarding the sharing of study results with participants