Registered Reports With Developmental and Secondary Data: Some Brief Observations and Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract

Registered reports are a relatively new type of journal article format in which the decision to publish an article is based on sound conceptualization, methods, and planned analyses rather than the specific nature of the results. Registered reports are becoming increasingly instituted in journals across the sciences but mostly in experimental contexts. Relatively few of these journals pertain directly to developmental research with adolescents, emerging adults, and adults, which tend to use more complex methods, or at least methods that involve a greater degree of flexibility. This article describes lessons learned through editing a special issue focused on registered reports based on analyses of a single existing data set, the Emerging Adulthood Measured and Multiple Institutions 2 project. These observations should be helpful for researchers interested in preparing registered report submissions using developmental and secondary data.

Efficacy of a cultural adaptation of the Identity Project intervention among adolescents attending multiethnic classrooms in Italy: A randomized controlled trial

“…Here, we propose to replicate a culturally adapted version of the IP intervention in a sample of adolescents attending multiethnic classrooms in Italy. In doing so, we followed recommended guidelines concerning study preregistration and open science (see Nosek et al, 2018; Syed & Donnellan, 2020) to increase transparency, avoid questionable research practices (e.g., insufficient statistical power, p ‐hacking, hypothesizing after results are known), and ultimately increase reproducibility.…”

Registered Reports in Child Development: Introduction to the Special Section

“…As such, it was not immediately clear that they would be applicable to research using different methods. Over the past 10 years, however, researchers have demonstrated the versatility of RRs, applying the format to secondary data (Syed & Donnellan, 2020), longitudinal designs (MacSweeney et al, 2023), systematic reviews (Henderson et al, 2022), qualitative methods (Karhulahti et al, 2023), mixed methods (Spitzer & Mueller, 2023), and many others (see Henderson & Chambers, 2022). What was once viewed as a niche format for hypothesis‐driven experimental research has proven itself to be a broadly applicable publishing model that has the potential to greatly reshape our scientific knowledge.…”

Editorial.

“…Luckily, in addition to OSM, experts have graciously given of their time to help get us ready. For example, Moin Syed (Syed & Donnellan, 2020) led a virtual workshop for Action Editors on assessing and reviewing registered reports. In addition, one of the Action Editors, Sara Hart (Logan et al, 2021), led another workshop on data sharing.…”