Leaving data unpublished also may slow down research efforts and lead to work being duplicated.

"There needs to be one comprehensive database so trials can be monitored and a wealth of information can be accessed from a central place," argues Sullivan.

"All scientists, whether clinical or not, have a responsibility to make sure their data is accessible to the wider community," says Professor Fran Balkwill, Head of Translational Oncology at the Cancer Research UK Clinical Centre in London.

"If the results from trials never reach the public domain, researchers could waste time and unknowingly repeat lines of inquiry that have already been proven unsuccessful," Balkwill points out.