The benefit of openness is that it provides the information required for other researchers to access your research and judge this for themselvesDr Hannah Fraser, Postdoctoral Researcher, Centre for Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, The University of Melbourne.*
About preregistration
Preregistering a study or research project allows for greater transparency and reproducibility. It also lets others know you are working on a topic. This can reduce the duplication of research and open up opportunities for collaboration.
A preregistration is a detailed description of a study plan. It will usually include hypotheses, data collection procedures, and an analysis plan. Preregistrations are created and publicly registered before studies have been undertaken.
Preregistration practices have tended to be quite discipline-specific. It has been most common in the health sciences, particularly psychology. In recent years, uptake has grown across various other hypothesis-driven fields.
Registries
Preregistrations are openly shared in registries. They are timestamped upon registration and cannot be altered, although revised versions can be added.
Which registry to use will depend on several factors, including your discipline and the type of study being conducted.
Prominent multidisciplinary registries include:
- OSF Registries. Run by the Centre for Open Science, OSF Registries is the most widely used repository for preregistering studies. Various templates are available for different kinds of preregistrations.
- AsPredicted. AsPredicted is a preregistration platform created by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Credibility Lab. It integrates with their ResearchBox platform.
- protocols.io. A platform designed specifically for the preregistration of protocols and methods.
For some disciplines, a subject-specific registry might be the best fit. For example:
- PreReg in Psychology. A long-running discipline-specific registry provided by the Leibniz Institute for Psychology (ZPID).
- AEA RCT Registry. The American Economic Association’s Randomized Controlled Trials Registry is open to RCTs in economics, political science, and social science from anywhere in the world.
Creating a preregistration
Preregistrations come in many forms, depending on discipline and the kind of study. But whatever the discipline, and whatever form the preregistration takes, it should:
- Clearly describe the research questions and hypotheses. Hypotheses should be numbered and clearly addressed in the analysis plan. All terms and variables should be described. The study’s scope, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and underlying assumptions should also be detailed.
- Contain sufficient detail to be reproducible. Methods sections and analysis plans should contain enough detail to be replicated by others. This requires clear step-by step protocols for data collection, as well as descriptions of how to interpret the data.
- Provide metadata that makes it discoverable. At a minimum, the record should have a clear title, an abstract/description, and the names of lead researchers. Providing keywords or subject headings will also aid discoverability.
Major registries often contain their own advice for creating robust preregistrations. See, for example:
Preregistering clinical trials
There are specific processes and requirements for the preregistration of clinical trials. Preregistering clinical trials makes important information available to participants before they get involved. It also helps prevent the unnecessary duplication of trials.
Many countries mandate the preregistration of clinical trials. In Australia, we require the preregistration of certain clinical trials involving human participants (National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research, 2007, updated 2018).
Where and how to register clinical trials
Australia’s primary clinical trial registry is the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR). It's one of many registries that feeds records into the World Health Organisation’s International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP). Another prominent clinical trial registry is ClinicalTrials.gov, a US site listing clinical trials in the US and abroad.
Responsibility for preregistration typically falls on the clinical trial’s sponsor. Clinical trial registrations should be available before the enrolment of the first participant. It is therefore best to complete preregistration at least two months before recruiting, as this process can take time.
At the University of Melbourne, clinical trials support is available through the Methods and Implementation Support for Clinical and Health research hub (MISCH). For more information, see the Government’s Australian Clinical Trials website.
Registered Reports
When a preregistration or study design is submitted to an academic journal for peer review, it becomes part of a Registered Report. Registered Reports aim to counter publication bias and poor research practices.
A Registered Report usually comprises two components:
- Registered Report Protocol. This is the peer-reviewed study design. It will include an introduction (with the research question and hypotheses), methods, and analysis plan. If necessary, pilot data may be included. The peer-reviewed study design is usually published in the journal before the study is complete. Alternatively, it might be uploaded to a registry, or embargoed until the article is published.
- Registered Report Research Article. The journal's acceptance of the protocol carries in-principle acceptance of the resulting article. This final article will include the study's results, discussion, and conclusions. This output is also peer reviewed, primarily based on adherence to original study design.
Preparing and submitting a Registered Report
Over 300 journals now publish Registered Reports, either regularly or in special issues. For more information, including a growing list of journals that publish Registered Reports, see the Centre for Open Science website.
When preparing a study design for submission, pay attention to the journal’s submission guidelines for Registered Reports. These may require the use of specific formats or templates. They should also set out the expectations of the journal’s editors and describe the publication process.
Consider these examples of journal-specific submission guidelines:
- F1000 Research – Preparing a Registered Report and Preparing a Study Protocol
- Nature Communications – Registered Reports: Author and Reviewer Guidelines
- PLOS ONE – Submission Guidelines: Registered Reports
- Scientific Reports – Registered Reports: Submission Guidelines and RR Manuscript Template
In general, editors will want to see a sound and robust study design that includes enough detail for the study to be replicated.
Further support
Contact the Scholarly Communications team for more information and support in preregistering your research.
* ​Read more about Dr Hannah Fraser's experience with open research: "How to produce robust, reliable and open research" (21/10/2021).
Registered Report workflow diagram by Centre for Open Science, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Page last updated 28 February 2025.
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