Open social science 101 : the case of registered reports

Have you ever tried to run a study building on published research and found that you could not replicate the main findings? In psychology, the so-called ‘replication crisis’ has led to a renewed methodological rigour, specifically around transparency in science. A practical outcome of this revolution is Registered Reports, a new submission format where authors submit their introduction, method, and analysis plan to a journal in a first stage. After reviews and potential revisions, if the Registered Report is accepted, the authors are guaranteed that their work will be published in the journal (stage 2 submission), independent of the findings. This format not only helps to improve study designs from the outset, leading to more reliable science, but also decreases publication bias, reducing the over-estimation of effects. Currently, 187 journals accept Registered Reports: the majority of these are in the psychology or biomedical fields, but there are now journals accepting this format in other social sciences (e.g., Psychology and Marketing, Journal of Development Economics, Journal of Experimental Political Science). In this talk, we intend to lay out the rationale for moving to open science, in psychology and beyond, highlighting the range of actions, from small steps to a larger overhaul of practices, that can be taken at researcher level. Two authors will also share their experience with Registered Reports, from their ECR and senior perspective.