Create a Preregistration
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You can create a preregistration by choosing OSF Preregistration from the list of registration forms when registering a project. You can start a preregistration from preregistration landing page. This help guide will walk you through how to start a new preregistration. For more information on the motivation behind preregistrations and best practices, visit https://www.cos.io/initiatives/prereg.
NOTE: If you plan to submit your preregistration for blinded peer-review, check to make sure that no identifying information is included in your data plan when you submit your preregistration. After submission, you can create a view-only link and anonymize your name on the "Registration Overview" page and the "Authors" section of the form; however, if your name is included in an attachment on the form, the view-only link will not work to hide this. Once you submit a preregistration, you will not be able to edit or make changes to it.
1. Start a preregistration
First, sign in to the OSF, and go to https://osf.io/prereg/.
You will be taken to the "OSF Preregistration" landing page.
This workflow creates an OSF project that connects to your preregistration. The project provides a place to continue your work and create more registrations throughout the research lifecycle.
If you have an existing OSF project that you want to preregister, click Preregister a project you already have on OSF.
Click Start a new preregistration.
A textbox will appear.
Enter a title for your preregistration into the textbox, then click Continue.
An OSF project will be created, and you will be taken to the project's "Registrations" page.
Click the New registration button.
A modal will appear with registration form types.
Select OSF Preregistration from the list, then click the Create draft button.
The preregistration form will appear.
2. Supply basic metadata about your research project
You are asked to supply basic metadata, like Title, Description, License, etc. for your registration.
3. Enter your research plan
There are 6 pages of questions to fill out in the preregistration form. Your changes are auto-saved every few seconds, so you can leave the form at any point in the process and continue to work on it later, until you are ready to register. See this help guide for instructions: Edit a Draft Registration.
Alternatively, you can download the preregistration template of the form here, fill it out locally, and then either 1) copy and paste the content into the OSF Preregistration form, or 2) attach the completed template as a file to a question in the form - if you choose this second option, simply enter "see attached file" for the questions.
Add attachments to the form
You can attach files to the preregistration form if you need more room than is available on the form itself or if you want to include supplementary material, such as analysis scripts.
If you plan to submit your preregistration for blinded peer review, make sure that you remove any identifiable information from the files before you upload them to your preregistration form. You will not be able to remove your name from these files after you register.
Only a few questions in the preregistration form allow you to add attachments.
On these questions, click the green + or drag and drop a file into the files browser.
Your file will appear in the file widget.
4. Preview your preregistration
When you get to the "Other" page in your form, click the Review button.
A preview of your form will appear.
Review your answers. If you see anything you want to change, click the Back button on the top right of the page.
5. Register
Click the Register button when you're ready.
Make your preregistration public or embargoed
The "Embargo" modal will appear.
Choose to either make your preregistration public immediately or to embargo it for up to 4 years.
If you choose to make your registration public immediately, you can also elect to create a DOI for your registration.
If you choose to enter your preregistration into an embargo, the "Embargo End Date" box will appear below the "Registration Choice" menu.
Click inside the "Embargo End Date" box, and a calendar will appear from which you can select the date that you want to end the embargo.
Then, click the Submit button to finalize your preregistration.
Your preregistration will be submitted, and will be in a "pending" state until all admins approve the registration or 48 hours pass (whichever comes first).
6. Approve or cancel your preregistration
When a project is registered, all administrators on the project are notified via email and given the chance to approve or cancel the preregistration.
The preregistration goes into effect
- either when all administrators have approved the preregistration
- or when 48 hours have passed (whichever comes first)
If one administrator disapproves the preregistration, the preregistration will be cancelled. You will be notified via email if an administrator disapproves the preregistration.
