Publishing Registered Reports

Abstract: Concerns about the credibility, transparency, and trustworthiness of empirical findings are changing research practices in work and organizational psychology, contributing to a slow but visible growth in interest in Open Science practices. As one Open Science practice that has received comparatively limited attention, registered reports (RRs) constitute an empirically oriented publication format that shifts peer review prior to data collection. To make this format more popular, this article offers a practical primer for scholars considering RRs. Specifically, to turn potential authors into authors who realize the potential of RRs, I draw on the cognitive–affective–behavioral framework and outline what to think about, which emotions to expect, and how to act when preparing a Stage 1 submission and navigating the subsequent review, data collection, and Stage 2 submission process. I pay particular attention to considerations for early-career researchers and conclude with implications for editors and reviewers.