Questionable research practices following pre-registration

Abstract

The credibility of psychological findings can be undermined by a history of questionable research practices (QRPs) by researchers. One remedy for this problem is the pre-registration of a study in which a research protocol is registered before beginning an experiment. However, the current style of pre-registration can be negatively affected by other QRPs. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that researchers can engage in QRPs, even after a study has been preregistered. In this demonstration study, we used eight QRPs to obtain statistically meaningful results that supported an ad hoc hypothesis. Major system updates such as pre-registration, peer review, and evaluation are required to address these harmful practices. We hope that the present demonstration study provides momentum for further discussions on next-generation research practices.

Link to resource: https://doi.org/10.24602/sjpr.62.3_281

Type of resources: Reading

Education level(s): College / Upper Division (Undergraduates), Graduate / Professional

Primary user(s): Student, Teacher

Subject area(s): Applied Science, Arts and Humanities, Social Science

Language(s): English, Japanese