JOTE Has a New Publishing Format: Registered Reports

Starting from March 25, 2024, we will welcome submissions for registered reports (RRs) in our journal! We see the move to publishing RRs as part of a broader, cultural movement in academia towards more rigorous, responsible, and transparent research practice. We're proud to become another journal accepting the format.

The RR format allows researchers to submit their plans for a study for peer review prior to conducting the study (including data collection). When these 'Stage 1' research plans meet good standards for methodological and statistical soundness, and a logical linkage to existing theory, they will be granted in-principle acceptance (IPA) at JOTE. Providing the planned protocol is carried out faithfully (and any deviations are transparently, and clearly reported), the full 'Stage 2' study will be published with us.

Please note that the RR format does not 'put science in chains', nor suppress exploration, nor is it a 'prison' for your ideas, nor are they a panacea for all the problems with science. Put simply, RRs can be a powerful tool in helping authors avoid the pitfalls of hindsight and confirmation bias, and give us an opportunity to provide clear delineation between confirmatory and exploratory research in our research reports. They encourage detailed and transparent reporting, and are likely to lead to better planned studies.

Are you currently conducting original (meta-science) research - for example on the role of error, transparency, publishing culture or the reward-structures in science? Feel welcome to submit it to us in the RR-format - we look forward to seeing your Stage 1 protocol!

The RR-format will initially be included in our journal as a one-year pilot, and details of how this process will be followed at JOTE will soon be available in our author guidelines page. Until then, learn more on RRs from the Center for Open Science's explanation on the format here!