This week F1000Research has furthered its commitment to transparency and reproducibility by experimenting with a new initiative: Registered Reports. The philosophy behind the Registered Report format is that the intrinsic value of science is in the rigor of the method, not the appeal of the results – an ethos already enshrined by our publishing model.
At the time of writing, 77 journals use the Registered Report format. This list includes journals which are Open Access, base editorial decisions on scientific soundness (rather than novelty), offer the option of open peer review, require data to be made openly available, and also publish study protocols.
Still, F1000Research is the first publisher to integrate the Registered Report format using an open post-publication peer review model. Alongside our open data policy, we hope this format will help enhance credibility while reducing researcher bias.
How will it work?
The cornerstone of the F1000Research Registered Report format is that the Study Protocol will be published and peer reviewed prior to data collection (termed ‘Stage 1’). At this stage, we will ask reviewers to assess whether the protocol is scientifically sound as well as answer a set of questions tailored specifically to this format. As with any paper published on F1000Research, authors are encouraged to revise the paper to address any concerns raised by the referees.
Following study completion, the full Research Article will be published, linked to the Stage 1 Study Protocol, and reviewed to ensure that the registered protocol has been adhered to and that the conclusions are justified given the data.
According to Chris Chambers, Chair of the Registered Reports Committee and Section Editor for Registered Reports at several journals:
“The launch of Registered Reports at F1000Research is particularly innovative because it combines peer-reviewed preregistration for the first time with post-publication peer review. My impression is that this is going to blaze a trail for maximising transparency and reproducibility in scientific reporting.”
For further details, please see our preliminary reviewer and author guidelines.
What’s in it for you?
By receiving expert feedback at Stage 1, researchers have the opportunity to address any methodological issues before their study begins improving their experimental design while saving both time and resources. As noted by Julius Emmrich (Charité), the first author of the Stage 1 Study Protocol, which proposes the use of mouse models to explore inhibition of phagocytic signalling pathways as a therapeutic target to prevent neuronal death during cerebral ischemia:
“We believe that transparency about our aims and analysis plan will help strengthen the robustness and accountability of our data. By registering our study, evaluation of the study design will become more central to the review process.
Currently, only a handful of journals accept registered preclinical reports. We chose F1000Research for its speedy publication process, open peer review, and visibility. All of which are helpful when publishing a registered report.”
The additional transparency offered by Registered Reports also serves to further enhance the credibility of the results while lessening the likelihood of misguided practises such as significance chasing and hindsight bias. And as researcher assessment is expected to shift towards reproducibility, Registered Reports could serve as an indicator of good scientific practise and contribute to career progression.
Our next steps
This is our first attempt to extend Registered Reports to open post-publication peer review and, as part of this new venture, we have developed preliminary guidelines to help us understand how Registered Reports will work with our model in practise. To download these guidelines, click here.
As we redouble our efforts to promote good science, we plan to garner feedback from Registered Report authors, referees, and readers in order to improve our guidelines at each stage and address any potential issues. We are also in the midst of designing a “Registered Report” badge which will help make these articles more easily identifiable and give more visible credit to both authors and referees.
If you would like to consider this format for your next study, please get in touch with our editorial team (research@f1000.com).
