I'm using preregistration templates effectively. Guide me: 1) Choose template fitting study design (OSF
Choosing the right preregistration template is crucial for clearly outlining your study design and hypotheses. Here are the steps to select a fitting OSF (Open Science Framework) preregistration template based on your study design:
- Identify Your Study Design:
- Define whether your study is an experiment, observational study, systematic review, meta-analysis, or another type of research.
- Consider elements such as whether you will be conducting qualitative or quantitative research, and if applicable, whether it involves longitudinal or cross-sectional analysis.
- Visit the OSF Preregistration Page:
- Go to the Open Science Framework's Preregistration Templates page.
- You can find various templates listed based on categories relevant to different types of research.
- Select Appropriate Categories:
- Choose categories relevant to your research from:
- Experimental Templates (e.g., for randomized controlled trials or lab experiments)
- Observational Templates (e.g., for field studies or cohort studies)
- Qualitative Research Templates (if your study emphasizes qualitative methods)
- Systematic Review/Meta-Analysis Templates (for literature reviews).
- Review Template Features:
- Ensure that the template includes necessary sections for your study design such as:
- Research Question and Hypotheses: Clearly state what you are testing.
- Methodology: Describe your Participants, Materials, Procedure, and Data Analysis plans.
- Sample Size Calculation: Outline how you determined your sample size.
- Planned Analysis: Specify statistical tests or coding techniques you intend to use.
- Outcome Measures: Clearly describe what your primary and secondary outcomes are.
- Consider Specific Needs:
- If your research involves any methodological innovations or specific protocols (like preregistering a new scale or test), ensure the template allows for those details.
- If you are collaborating with others, consider how the template fits collective input or shared protocols.
- Use OSF Features to Adapt:
- OSF templates are often customizable. You can modify sections or include additional relevant information that might not be expressly covered in the template.
- Finalize and Submit:
- Fill out all relevant information in the chosen template.
- Double-check your entries for consistency and clarity.
- Submit your preregistration and ensure it is publicly accessible for transparency.
By carefully selecting the most appropriate template for your study design and ensuring it is comprehensive enough to cover your specific research methods and analysis plans, you can effectively utilize the OSF resources for your preregistration efforts.
Guide to Using Preregistration Templates Effectively
Great that you're preregistering! Here's how to choose and use the right template:
1) Choosing the Right Template for Your Study Design
OSF Standard Templates:
- OSF Preregistration Template (General)
- Best for: Exploratory studies, qualitative research, any study not fitting specialized templates
- Pros: Flexible, widely accepted
- Cons: May lack specific guidance for complex designs
- AsPredicted Template (Streamlined)
- Best for: Quick preregistration, straightforward experimental designs
- Pros: Short (9 questions), user-friendly
- Cons: Less detailed, may not satisfy some journals
- Preregistration Challenge Template (Comprehensive)
- Best for: Experimental psychology, hypothesis-testing studies
- Pros: Detailed, well-structured
- Cons: Time-intensive (often 2-4 hours)
Specialized Templates:
- Registered Report Protocol (RRP)
- Best for: Submitting to journals offering Registered Reports
- Required when: Journal-specific format needed
- Secondary Data Preregistration
- Best for: Analyzing existing datasets
- Key feature: Addresses data familiarity, prior knowledge
- Clinical Trials (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov)
- Best for: Medical interventions, clinical research
- Required when: Federally mandated or journal policy
- Replication studies (Replication Recipe)
- Best for: Direct or conceptual replications
- Key feature: Links to original study
2) Key Sections to Complete Thoroughly
Regardless of template, prioritize these:
Essential Sections:
- Hypotheses
- State directional predictions
- Distinguish primary from secondary hypotheses
- Use specific, falsifiable language
- Sampling Plan
- Sample size + justification (power analysis)
- Stopping rule (when data collection ends)
- Inclusion/exclusion criteria
- Variables
- Operationalize all constructs
- Specify manipulations exactly
- Define how each measure is scored
- Analysis Plan
- Statistical tests for each hypothesis
- Criteria for inference (α level, Bayes factors)
- Plan for missing data
- Plan for outliers
- What You Already Know
- Data collected yet? How much have you seen?
- Prior pilots or preliminary analyses?
3) Common Pitfalls to Avoid
❌ Being too vague: "We'll use appropriate statistical tests"
✅ Be specific: "We'll use an independent samples t-test (two-tailed, α=.05)"
❌ Not addressing researcher degrees of freedom
✅ Prespecify decision points: "If assumptions are violated, we'll use Mann-Whitney U test"
❌ Preregistering after seeing data
✅ Time-stamp before data access: Register, then collect
❌ Forgetting exploratory analyses
✅ Label clearly: "Exploratory: We'll examine correlations between..."
❌ Making it impossible to deviate
✅ You CAN deviate: Just transparently report deviations and justify them
4) Practical Workflow
1. Draft preregistration in separate document first
2. Have collaborators review and revise
3. Upload to OSF when finalized
4. Make preregistration public OR embargo until publication
5. Register before: data collection, data access, or analysis
6. When publishing: cite preregistration DOI
7. Report any deviations transparently
Quick Decision Tree
What's your study type?
- Confirmatory experiment → Preregistration Challenge or AsPredicted
- Survey/correlation study → OSF Standard or AsPredicted
- Existing dataset → Secondary Data Preregistration
- Clinical intervention → ClinicalTrials.gov + OSF
- Replication → Replication Recipe
- Submitting to journal → Check if Registered Report format required
- Qualitative → OSF Standard (adapted) or skip formal pre
Using preregistration templates effectively is a great way to enhance the transparency and reproducibility of your research. Open Science Framework (OSF) offers several templates that can be tailored to different study designs. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you choose the right template for your study design:
Step 1: Understand Your Study Design
Before choosing a template, it's crucial to have a clear understanding of your study design. Common study designs include:
- Experimental Design: Involves manipulating variables to observe the effects.
- Observational Design: Involves observing variables without manipulation.
- Correlational Design: Examines relationships between variables.
- Longitudinal Design: Collects data over an extended period.
- Cross-Sectional Design: Collects data at a single point in time.
Step 2: Explore OSF Preregistration Templates
OSF provides several templates that cater to different study designs. Here are some common templates:
- Standard Preregistration Template: Suitable for a wide range of study designs, including experimental and observational studies.
- Clinical Trial Preregistration Template: Specifically designed for clinical trials.
- Qualitative Research Preregistration Template: For qualitative studies.
- Replication Preregistration Template: For studies aiming to replicate previous research.
- Registered Report Preregistration Template: For studies that will be submitted as registered reports.
Step 3: Choose the Appropriate Template
Based on your study design, select the most fitting template:
- Experimental Design: Use the Standard Preregistration Template.
- Observational Design: Use the Standard Preregistration Template.
- Correlational Design: Use the Standard Preregistration Template.
- Longitudinal Design: Use the Standard Preregistration Template.
- Cross-Sectional Design: Use the Standard Preregistration Template.
- Clinical Trials: Use the Clinical Trial Preregistration Template.
- Qualitative Research: Use the Qualitative Research Preregistration Template.
- Replication Studies: Use the Replication Preregistration Template.
- Registered Reports: Use the Registered Report Preregistration Template.
Step 4: Customize the Template
Once you’ve chosen the appropriate template, customize it to fit your specific study:
- Introduction: Provide background information and the rationale for your study.
- Methods: Detail your study design, participants, procedures, and measures.
- Hypotheses: Clearly state your hypotheses and predictions.
- Analysis Plan: Describe your data analysis methods, including statistical tests and software.
- Ethical Considerations: Address any ethical issues and how you plan to handle them.
- Timeline: Outline the timeline for your study, including data collection and analysis.
Step 5: Review and Submit
- Review: Carefully review your preregistration to ensure all necessary details are included.
- Submit: Submit your preregistration on OSF. This will create a time-stamped, publicly accessible record of your study plan.
Step 6: Follow-Up
- Updates: If there are any changes to your study design or methods, update your preregistration accordingly.
- Publication: When publishing your results, refer to your preregistration to demonstrate transparency and adherence to your original plan.
Additional Tips
- Consult Guidelines: Refer to guidelines such as the Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) Guidelines for additional best practices.
- Seek Feedback: Share your preregistration with colleagues or mentors for feedback before submission.
- Document Changes: If you deviate from your preregistered plan, document the reasons and implications clearly.
By following these steps, you can effectively use preregistration templates to enhance the rigor and transparency of your research.
💡 Try this comparison yourself:Compare AI models side-by-side on SNEOS
Analysis
This comparison demonstrates the different approaches each AI model takes when responding to the same prompt. Here are the key differences observed:
Response Characteristics
ChatGPT: Provides a direct response with 31 sentences.
Claude: Provides a detailed response with 25 sentences.
Mistral: Provides a direct response with 49 sentences.
Key Takeaways
- Each model brings unique strengths to this type of query
- Response styles vary significantly between models
- Consider your specific use case when choosing between these models
Try This Comparison Yourself
Want to test these models with your own prompts? Visit SNEOS.com to compare AI responses side-by-side in real-time.
This comparison was generated using the SNEOS AI Comparison ToolPublished: October 15, 2025 | Models: ChatGPT, Claude, Mistral