Preregistration is the practice of registering the hypotheses, methods, or analyses of a scientific study before it is conducted.[1][2] Clinical trial registration is similar, although it may not require the registration of a study's analysis protocol. Finally, registered reports include the peer review and in principle acceptance of a study protocol prior to data collection.[3]
Preregistration can have a number of different goals,[4] including (a) facilitating and documenting research plans, (b) identifying and reducing questionable research practices and researcher biases,[5] (c) distinguishing between confirmatory and exploratory analyses,[6] (d) transparently evaluating the severity of hypothesis tests,[7] and, in the case of Registered Reports, (e) facilitating results-blind peer review, and (f) reducing publication bias.[8]
A number of research practices such as p-hacking, publication bias, data dredging, inappropriate forms of post hoc analysis, and HARKing may increase the probability of incorrect claims. Although the idea of preregistration is old,[9] the practice of preregistering studies has gained prominence to mitigate to some of the issues that are thought to underlie the replication crisis.[1]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Nosek et al. (2018)was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Parsons, Sam; Azevedo, Flávio; Elsherif, Mahmoud M.; Guay, Samuel; Shahim, Owen N.; Govaart, Gisela H.; Norris, Emma; O’Mahony, Aoife; Parker, Adam J.; Todorovic, Ana; Pennington, Charlotte R. (2022-02-21). "A community-sourced glossary of open scholarship terms". Nature Human Behaviour. 6 (3): 312–318. doi:10.1038/s41562-021-01269-4. hdl:2292/62865. ISSN 2397-3374. PMID 35190714. S2CID 247025114.
- ^ "Registered Replication Reports". Association for Psychological Science. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
- ^ "Preregistration". www.apa.org. Retrieved 2024-10-19.
- ^ Hardwicke, Tom E.; Wagenmakers, Eric-Jan (January 2023). "Reducing bias, increasing transparency and calibrating confidence with preregistration". Nature Human Behaviour. 7 (1): 15–26. doi:10.1038/s41562-022-01497-2. ISSN 2397-3374.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Wagenmakers et al. (2012)was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Lakens, Daniël (2019). "The value of preregistration for psychological science: A conceptual analysis". Japanese Psychological Review. 62 (3): 221–230. doi:10.24602/sjpr.62.3_221.
- ^ Chambers, Christopher D.; Tzavella, Loukia (January 2022). "The past, present and future of Registered Reports". Nature Human Behaviour. 6 (1): 29–42. doi:10.1038/s41562-021-01193-7. ISSN 2397-3374.
- ^ Bakan, David (1966). "The test of significance in psychological research". Psychological Bulletin. 66 (6): 423–437. doi:10.1037/h0020412. PMID 5974619.