Preregistered

Preregistered is an adjective used to describe a research project, analysis plan, or protocol that has been registered before data collection or analysis begins. Preregistration typically involves specifying the study’s hypotheses, methods, sampling plan, and planned statistical analyses in a time-stamped document or registry. The goal is to increase transparency and reduce questionable research practices such as p-hacking and HARKing (hypothesizing after results are known).

In practice, preregistration is common in psychology, social sciences, neuroscience, and biomedical research, and platforms such as the Open Science Framework and ClinicalTrials.gov provide registries for preregistration. Some journals emphasize preregistration and offer formats like Registered Reports, where the study design and analysis plan are peer-reviewed before data collection and publication is contingent on follow-through with the preregistered plan.

Preregistration is not a guarantee of quality or validity, and it is not appropriate for all research. Critics note that rigid preregistration can hinder exploratory work or the adaptation of methods to unforeseen data. Ambiguities can arise about what constitutes a preregistered protocol and what constitutes acceptable deviations, requiring transparent documentation of any changes.

Overall, preregistered studies aim to improve reproducibility and credibility by committing researchers to a predefined plan, while remaining compatible with legitimate scientific flexibility and exploratory inquiry.