Preregistration












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            When you preregister your research, you're simply specifying your research plan in advance

            and submitting it to a registry.

            Preregistration is one way how to enhance the transparency and credibility of the research

            mitigate certain cognitive biases (e.g., hindsight bias) or questionable research practice
            called p-hacking or HARKing (Hypothesizing After Results are Known).


            Researchers define the study's objective/hypothesis, study design, and planned analysis, b
            the data. Then they register this proposal through dedicated platforms such as OSF Preregi

            [ URL "https://www.cos.io/initiatives/prereg"] , AsPredicted [ URL "https://aspredicted.or
            PreclinicalTrials.eu [ URL "https://preclinicaltrials.eu/"] . This creates a permanent and
            of the planned study, which can be shared anonymously for example with reviewers. Preregis

            it clear whether the research is aimed at generating a hypothesis (exploratory research) o
            hypothesis (confirmatory research). It also distinguishes between analyses that were pre-p
            that arose after a more detailed examination of the collected data.


            The options for making preregistrations openly available vary depending on the platform ch
            For example, the OSF.io registry [ URL "https://www.cos.io/initiatives/prereg"] always pub

            preregistrations, however, it allows for an embargo period of up to 4 years, during which 
            preregistration can be shared in an anonymized form (for instance with reviewers). On the 
            AsPredicted.org [ URL "https://aspredicted.org/"] , creates a preregistration by filling o

            that generates a .pdf file at the end, which can then be shared in an anonymized form or m
            repository.


            Preregistration may not be suitable for every type of research or field of study. It is pa
            for quantitative research, where statistical analyses are performed. Its use has proven ef
            such as psychology and preclinical studies. For more information on the practical use of p

            you can refer to the article The Preregistration Revolution (Nosek et al. 2018: Section 4 
            www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1708274114#sec-4"] ).


            You can also combine preregistration with the publication of a registered report.





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            * What should I do if I need to make changes during the research process?
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            Deviations from the planned data collection or analysis are common, even in the best-plann
            Preregistering your study does not mean that you cannot make changes to your research, gen
            hypotheses, or try different statistical methods. The key is to be transparent and indicat

            research report which methods and hypotheses were pre-planned (e.g., by referencing the pr
            and which resulted from post hoc analysis. Even if the analysis you originally proposed do
            desired results, you should still report it in the final paper.