Preregistration

Last updated on Feb 26, 2026
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Definition: The practice of publishing the plan for a study, including research questions/hypotheses, research design, data analysis before the data has been collected or examined. It is also possible to preregister secondary data analyses (Merten & Krypotos, 2019). A preregistration document is time-stamped and typically registered with an independent party (e.g., a repository) so that it can be publicly shared with others (possibly after an embargo period). Preregistration provides a transparent documentation of what was planned at a certain time point, and allows third parties to assess what changes may have occurred afterwards. The more detailed a preregistration is, the better third parties can assess these changes and with that the validity of the performed analyses. Preregistration aims to clearly distinguish confirmatory from exploratory research.

Related terms: Confirmation bias, Confirmatory analyses, Exploratory Data Analysis, HARKing, Pre-analysis plan, Questionable Research Practices or Questionable Reporting Practices (QRPs), Registered Report, Research Protocol, Transparency

References:

  • Haven, T. L., & Van Grootel, L. (2019). Preregistering qualitative research. Accountability in Research, 26(3), 229–244. https://doi.org/10.1080/08989621.2019.1580147
  • Lewandowsky, S., & Bishop, D. (2016). Research integrity: Don’t let transparency damage science. Nature News, 529(7587), 459. https://doi.org/10.1038/529459a
  • Mertens, G., & Krypotos, A. M. (2019). Preregistration of analyses of preexisting data. Psychologica Belgica, 59(1), 338.
  • Navarro, D. (2020). Paths in strange spaces: A comment on preregistration.
  • Nosek, B. A., Ebersole, C. R., DeHaven, A. C., & Mellor, D. T. (2018). The preregistration revolution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(11), 2600–2606. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1708274114
  • Simmons, J., Nelson, L., & Simonsohn, U. (2021). Pre‐registration: Why and how. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 31(1), 151–162. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcpy.1208

Originally drafted by: Mahmoud Elsherif

Reviewed by: Gisela H. Govaart, Helena Hartmann, Tina Lonsdorf, William Ngiam, Eike Mark Rinke, Lisa Spitzer, Olmo van den Akker, FlĂĄvio Azevedo