The end of a research study occurs when all procedures in the protocol have been completed for all participants including the period of ‘follow-up’. This is the time when all data collection ceases and the researcher team turn their attention to data analysis.
A local End of Study Declaration must be submitted to the Research Management and Support Office within 15 days of the end of study. You can find this in Useful Downloads. If Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS FT is the sponsor of your project, you must notify the HRA as well. You can find more information here: https://www.hra.nhs.uk/approvals-amendments/managing-your-approval/ending-your-project/
For industry-sponsored studies in particular, when a research study ends, ‘close-out’ visits are usually done at each research site and this signifies that the study is no longer ‘active’ at the site. The date the visit occurs is usually also regarded as the study’s end date at site.
One of the final acts of the researcher during this stage is getting their paper published in a relevant peer-reviewed journal and disseminating the findings to the participants and the wider community that may benefit from the findings in an appropriate language and format.