OSF Projects Transition: Registration Questions and Use Cases

OSF Registrations and preregistrations will continue as part of OSF’s ongoing services. This guide answers common questions about creating and managing registrations.

Use cases

Use case	I created a registration from a project previously.
Impact	Your registration is a separate record and is not affected by the changes to OSF Projects. It will continue as usual, including any scheduled end to an embargo. The associated project will become read-only on February 19, 2027.
Recommendation	No action is needed for the registration itself. If you still use the associated project for active work or materials that will continue to change, move those materials to another appropriate platform before the project becomes read-only. Beginning February 19, 2027, new registrations must be created through the OSF Registration workflow rather than from a project.

Use case	I want to attach files when creating a registration.
Impact	This is not changing. You can still attach up to 5 GB of files as part of a new registration submission. Once the registration is submitted, those files remain part of the registered record and cannot be added, removed, or replaced.
Recommendation	Attach protocols and other supporting files that should be captured as part of the registration. For data, code, materials, publications, or other outputs created or updated later, store them in an appropriate repository and link them to the registration through its resources section.

Use case	My registration is still a draft, pending approval, embargoed, or public.
Impact	The changes to OSF Projects will not affect your registration or its current status. Draft registrations can still be completed and submitted. Pending registrations will continue through the usual approval process. Embargoed registrations will remain embargoed until their scheduled end date, and public registrations will remain public.
Recommendation	No action is required. Continue managing the registration through your My Registrations page and follow the usual steps for its current status.

Use case

I uploaded a registration or protocol document to an OSF Project instead of using the OSF Registration workflow.

Impact

A registration or protocol document uploaded to an OSF Project is a file in that project, not an OSF Registration. It will become read-only with the project on February 19, 2027. Uploading a document to a project does not submit it through the OSF Registration workflow or make it an OSF Registration.

Recommendation

Contact support@osf.io, as we may be able to help convert an existing document into an OSF Registration.

You can still use OSF to register a study plan or protocol after projects become read-only. Create an OSF Registration and attach the relevant document as part of your submission. The registration process also offers templates that help capture key elements of the study, creates a structured, time-stamped record of what was planned, and provides a transparent history of later updates. Registrations can be embargoed for up to four years and shared through view-only links. Once public, they are discoverable through OSF Registries, receive a DOI, and can be linked to related data, code, materials, and publications.

Use case	I want to create a new registration after new OSF Projects can no longer be created.
Impact	This is not changing. You can continue creating new registrations through the OSF Registration workflow after new projects can no longer be created. An OSF Project is not required to create a registration.
Recommendation	Create the registration directly through OSF Registries or your My Registrations page. From there, you can select the appropriate template, complete your study plan, and attach any files that should be included before submitting.

Use case	I want to add or update materials after submitting a registration.
Impact	There is no impact on the existing registration update process. You can submit a transparent update to revise eligible responses in the registration form.
Recommendation	Use the registration update process to document changes to the study plan. Store new or revised files in an appropriate external repository and link them to the registration through the resources section.

Use case	I want to register a particular type of study or protocol.
Impact	The availability of OSF Registration templates is not changing. OSF offers templates for different kinds of research and different parts of a study plan, including study design, analysis plans, and protocols.
Recommendation	Continue to select the template that best fits your research. For example, the Generalized Systematic Review template supports systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and meta-analyses. Other templates support qualitative studies, secondary-data research, registered report protocols, replications, and other study types. Review the registration template guide to find the most appropriate option.

Use case

I have a systematic review, scoping review, or review protocol on OSF.

Impact

If you submitted it as an OSF Registration, it is not affected by the changes to OSF Projects and will continue to operate as it does today. If you uploaded it as a file in an OSF Project instead, it is not an OSF Registration and will become read-only with the Project on February 19, 2027.

Recommendation

Check your My Registrations page to confirm what you created. If it exists only as a file in a project, contact support@osf.io; we may be able to help convert it into a registration.

Going forward, use the Generalized Systematic Review template, which supports systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and meta-analyses.

Use case	I have an embargoed registration that I need to share with a journal or peer reviewer, including through a view-only link.
Impact	The changes to OSF Projects will not affect view-only links for registrations. You can continue creating a view-only link for an embargoed registration and sharing it with people who are not contributors.
Recommendation	An administrator on the registration can create the link through the contributors section. Select the anonymized option when needed.. The OSF Registration guide includes instructions for creating view-only links.

Use case	I want to link my registration to data, code, materials, publications, or other outputs stored elsewhere.
Impact	You can add links to related research outputs through the registration’s resources fields. These resources can be categorized as data, analytic code, materials, papers, or supplements. A resource must have a DOI before it can be added.
Recommendation	Store evolving outputs in an appropriate repository that provides a DOI. Once the resource is available, add its DOI, resource type, and description to the Registration. This keeps the study plan and its related outputs linked without relying on an OSF Project for ongoing storage.