Metodtransparens

Metodtransparens is a principle in research reporting that calls for explicit, accessible documentation of the methodological choices a study makes. It aims to help readers understand how the study was designed and conducted, assess the reliability of its conclusions, and enable replication or secondary analysis when possible. The concept applies to both quantitative and qualitative research and covers the overall design, sampling and recruitment, data collection instruments and procedures, data management, analysis procedures, coding schemes, decision rules, and the researchers’ theoretical framing and reflexivity. Practically, it involves detailed method sections, justification of design decisions, and, where appropriate, preregistration or registered reports, sharing coding schemes and analytic logs, and providing audit trails while respecting ethical constraints.

Benefits include increased transparency, accountability, and credibility, as well as facilitation of replication and meta-analysis. Critics note that full transparency can be challenging in sensitive contexts, may add to the reporting burden, and may clash with confidentiality or proprietary considerations. In practice, journals and funders increasingly encourage or require method transparency through guidelines and policies for data, materials, and analytic procedures, as well as opportunities for open access to code or protocols where appropriate. Metodtransparens is part of broader movements toward open science and rigorous research reporting aimed at improving trust in scholarly findings.