Overview and Process
Registration is the process of formally documenting essential information about a research study. The goal is to establish a clear, predetermined research plan while enhancing the credibility of the scientific process. Think of it as an opportunity to tell the entire store of your study.
The General Process
The general preregistration process is quite simple. For fun, let’s look at it from the perspective of a space mission.
| Space Mission Stage | Preregistration Stage | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mission Planning | Drafting your Registration | Much like a spacecraft needs a detailed protocol, a research study requires planning. In this metaphorical space, the protocol is the registration—a comprehensive blueprint detailing the study design, methodologies, and analysis plans. It's the lifeline that ensures your mission is set for success. |
| Countdown | Final Review / Approvals | Submitting your mission protocol to the registration platform is akin to starting the countdown to launching your spacecraft into orbit. You and your contributors have a pre-defined time to review the mission blueprint before the study starts. |
| Launch | Submit your Registration | The launch phase is where the rubber meets the road. The registration is completely submitted and archived and your data collection begins. |
| In-Flight | Collecting Data | Researchers follow the predefined trajectory established during registration, just as the spacecraft follows its programmed path through space. This phase marks the official commencement of the research study. |
| Debris Avoidance | Update Registration | There is always some anomaly that interferes with your study, just as an asteroid or satellite unexpectedly veers into a spaceship’s flight path. Simply updating and submitting an updated plans keeps you on your path while addressing unexpected issues. |
| Landing | Analysis and Reporting | As your research spacecraft gracefully descends from the cosmic heights, envision this phase as the controlled descent and landing. Here, the metaphor transitions seamlessly into the critical stage of data analysis and reporting, likened to the moment your spacecraft touching down. |