What is Pre-Registration? #

Pre-registration refers to the practice of documenting and timestamping the study design, hypotheses, and analysis plans before data collection begins. This method increases the credibility and transparency of research by making clear what the researcher intends to do before seeing the data.

Key elements of pre-registration include:

Research Questions: Clearly defining the research questions that will be addressed.

Hypotheses: Specifying the hypotheses that will be tested.

Study Design and Methods: Providing a detailed description of the study design, including the population, sample size, randomization procedures, and planned measurements.

Analysis Plan: Outlining the statistical analyses or qualitative methods that will be used to test the hypotheses.By pre-registering these components, researchers create a permanent, time-stamped record that can later be compared to the final study report to assess the fidelity of the research process.

Pre-Registration vs. Registration #

It is important to distinguish between pre-registration and registration:

Pre-registration: This occurs before data collection begins. It documents hypotheses, methods, and planned analyses, ensuring that researchers commit to a specific analysis plan upfront.

Registration: This happens after the study is completed but before the results are published. Registration involves documenting key details about the study and ensuring that the results are accessible to the public, even if they are not published in a traditional journal. Registration is often used for clinical trials or large-scale public health studies to ensure transparency.