FAQs
FAQs
Why Take Part in Research?
Carrying out a research study takes months, sometimes years of preparation and research, funding applications and ethics approval. The first step is the conception of an original research idea that can be effectively carried out in a research setting and will yield results that have the potential to contribute to our understanding of the body and how it works. To see the whole research process explained in detail, please click here to go to Study Life Cycle page.
The Practicalities of Taking Part in Research
Currently, we are inviting twins to take part in visits every three to four years. This timeline enables us to see most of the twins on our registry, tracking valuable health changes with time. In between visits, depending on your age, zygosity, previous involvement in research, clinical history, or test findings, we may also invite you to participate in smaller studies involving research visits, postal studies, and/or questionnaires. All participation in TwinsUK research is voluntary, and you can decline to take part in studies at any time.
We will normally call you or email you to invite you to visits, and we also send texts from time to time. We may also write to you or send you questionnaires, so it is important for us to have your up-to-date contact information. You will also receive an annual newsletter and e-newsletters throughout the year which will keep you informed of our research findings and studies. Finally, you can find us on Facebook, Instagram, twitter and YouTube with regular updates and feeds.
Ethical Standards and Confidentiality
The main funding bodies currently supporting the DTR and TwinsUK are the Wellcome Trust, the Medical Research Council and the Chronic Disease Research Foundation (CDRF). Since 2012, the GSTT/KCL NIHR Biomedical Research Centre has also provided support for research visits as well as allowing research visits to take place in the BRC Clinical Research Facility, which facilitates clinical assessments and specimen collections.
We will keep all information collected about you as part of TwinsUK BioBank strictly confidential and we will store it according to the General Data Protection Regulation 2018 and the Data Protection Act 2018.
We will store all your data using a unique twin ID number. All personal information such as your name, address, exact date of birth and any contact information will be held on a separate secure database only accessible to authorised and approved TwinsUK personnel for administration purposes. We will only share your pseudonymised data (i.e. data linked to your unique ID Number), and your birth month and year with approved researchers. You cannot be personally identified using this data. Only the test results that we send to you and your GP will contain any personal information.
Currently, we are inviting twins to take part in visits every three to four years. This timeline enables us to see most of the twins on our registry, tracking valuable health changes with time. In between visits, depending on your age, zygosity, previous involvement in research, clinical history, or test findings, we may also invite you to participate in smaller studies involving research visits, postal studies, and/or questionnaires. All participation in TwinsUK research is voluntary, and you can decline to take part in studies at any time.
We will normally call you or email you to invite you to visits, and we also send texts from time to time. We may also write to you or send you questionnaires, so it is important for us to have your up-to-date contact information. You will also receive an annual newsletter and e-newsletters throughout the year which will keep you informed of our research findings and studies. Finally, you can find us on Facebook, Instagram, twitter and YouTube with regular updates and feeds.
Common Twin Questions
No, differences in environmental factors can cause identical twins to look different over time.
Yes, identical twins have unique fingerprints due to variations in foetal development.
Non-identical twins can run in families, especially on the mother’s side. Identical twins typically occur spontaneously.
Around 25% of identical twins exhibit opposite features, like hair parting or dominant hands. This may be linked to the timing of egg splitting.
Yes, environmental factors in the womb can lead to differences in height and foot size.