An innovative way to enhance your research credibility

The advantages of publishing your research as a Registered Report

In today’s scientific landscape, transparency and reproducibility are more important than ever. One innovative approach which cleverly addresses these needs is the “Registered Report” format; a publication type which has been supported by some of our journals for many years opens in new tab/window, and which has recently been optimized and rolled out to several additional journals. This article outlines the benefits of publishing your research as a Registered Report and provides you with further guidance on how to submit.

What are Registered Reports?

Registered Reports reform the traditional publication process by allowing authors to pre-register their experiments in a two-stage format. Initially, researchers submit a “Stage I” manuscript that includes the introduction, hypothesis, methods, proposed analyses, and any necessary research ethics statements before conducting their experiments. This manuscript undergoes rigorous peer review, providing valuable feedback to strengthen the experimental design and enhance the likelihood of obtaining reliable and reproducible results. Once accepted, the Stage I article is published on ScienceDirect.

Upon acceptance of the Stage I manuscript, authors receive an “in principle acceptance” (IPA) for their “Stage II” manuscript, which should contain the results, conclusions and discussion of the research conducted, as proposed in the Stage I manuscript. This IPA ensures publication alongside the Stage I article, provided that the approved protocol has been followed and that the conclusions align with the data, regardless of whether the hypothesis is confirmed or rejected.

Why choose to publish a Registered Report with Elsevier?

Publishing your Registered Report with Elsevier offers numerous advantages:

1. Supporting research quality: Our rigorous peer review ensures that your research is built on a solid foundation. Early feedback on your research plan allows you to refine your methods and analyses, saving time and effort on less viable studies. This robust preparation can lead to enhanced funding opportunities and career advancement.

2. Reducing publication bias: Registered Reports mitigate the risk of publication bias by committing to publish regardless of the study's outcome. This contributes to a more balanced scientific literature, where both positive and negative results are accessible.

3. Increasing transparency: Registered Reports promote transparency in research by requiring authors to detail their methods and analysis plans upfront. This transparency fosters trust in scientific findings and promotes better reproducibility.

4. Preventing scooping: The Registered Reports format enables authors to secure an early claim on their research hypotheses.

5. Providing publication assurance: With the provisional guarantee of publication, you can confidently pursue your research questions without fearing that negative or non-significant results will hinder publication. This encourages the reporting of unexpected findings, promoting a more comprehensive understanding of the research landscape.

The innovative nature of this new article type is nicely summarized by Elsevier’s Senior Vice President Louise Curtis: “Registered reports are a key element of our commitment to research integrity and play a critical role in incentivizing rigorous and collaborative work. They also provide an important opportunity to surface negative/inconclusive results that add value to the research ecosystem."

Feedback from the research community

Over 30 Elsevier journals currently support the submission of Registered Reports, with more to follow in due course. Amongst the participating journals is the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology opens in new tab/window, which recently accepted its first Stage I manuscript opens in new tab/window. Co-Editors-in-Chief Andrea Tricco and David Tovey are enthusiastic about the new article format: “We are delighted to publish our first Registered Report, and hope it will be the first of many. Registered Reports represent an important step towards open science. Contributors and readers can be confident that high quality research that adheres to an approved protocol will be published irrespective of the nature of the results”, commented Andrea Tricco.

In conclusion

The Registered Report format offers a valuable opportunity for researchers to enhance the integrity and impact of their work. By embracing this approach, authors can contribute to a more transparent and credible scientific landscape. If you’re considering publishing your research, we would encourage you to explore the Registered Report format – your work, and the scientific community at large, will benefit from it.

Ready to submit your own Registered Report? Visit the Registered Reports pages on Elsevier.com to get started!