Frequently Asked Questions

The term "registered report" was first coined by the Center for Open Science, and refers to the publication of a research article that is published in two stages:

1. Publication of a peer-reviewed research protocol: This is the stage 1 Registered Report, in the IRRID nomenclature called RR1.
2. Publication of a peer-reviewed research paper containing the protocols' results: This is the stage 2 Registered Report, or RR2.

Registered Reports are building block in the Plan P open science framework as they enhance transparency and reduce publication bias. For further information on Registered Reports see Registered Report (Center for Open Science).

The IRRID network proposes a persistent identifier called an IRRID (International Registered Report Identifier), the purpose of which is to further enhance transparency by providing a machine- and human-readable mechanism for linking RR2s with RR1s, which assists in peer-review and enhances accountability and reproducibility of science. 

An IRRID assigned to a research protocol or grant proposal (RR1-IRRID) guarantees acceptance of subsequent results papers (RR2) in any approved journal of the IRRID registry.  IRRID-accredited journals guarantee acceptance of the research to reduce publication bias, offer a streamlined peer-review, and a discounted peer-review (as the RR1-IRRID certifies that the protocol is already peer-reviewed).

The RR2-IRRID published with results papers provides an easy mechanism for peer-reviewers and readers to locate the associated protocol whereever it is published, as it is simply the DOI of the protocol.

By publishing in an IRRID accredited journal

An International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) is a stable, unique identifier used to identify a protocol or proposal (RR1 papers) and link it to all subsequent results papers (RR2 papers). The IRRID is based on the DOI of the protocol paper (See What is a Registered Report? and Elements of an IRRID, below).

Note that IRRIDs were previously referred to as RRIDs, but to avoid confusion with the Research Resource Identifiers initiative (http://www.rrids.org), they are now referred to as IRRIDs.

An RR1 IRRID — issued by IRRID accredited RR1 journals such as the JMIR Research Protocols — also signifies that the project is in principle accepted for publication in any other IRRID-accredited journals, and should be cited in the abstract of the subsequent results (RR2) paper.

IRRIDs can and should be used in addition to the existing clinical trials registration system (Does my trial (RCT) have to be registered?).

IRRID-accredited journals publish the IRRID in the abstract of a published papers. Pubmed lists currently more than 1.500 papers with an IRRID in the abstract.

The IRRID consists of a prefix, a dash (-) and a Document Object Identifier (DOI) registered by doi.org. Example: DERR1-10.2196/12144 (for the stage 1 paper) and RR2-10.2196/12144 (for the results paper). 

Any publication that assigns DOIs can become an IRRID-accredited publication, because the IRRID is simply the DOI of the peer-review protocol with some additional acronyms indicating the provenance of the protocol.

Prefix: RR1, DERR1, PPR1 

Main part: DOI of the RR1 publication

The prefix component of the IRRID indicates the stage of the report, as follows.

• The prefix PRR1 is used for a protocol or proposal (RR1) if it was submitted before data collection and analysis (ie, the protocol was actually preregistered). Example: PRR1-10.2196/10491. It is strongly encouraged to publish the protocol before data collection (e.g. before participants are enrolled)
• The prefix DERR1 is used for a protocol (RR1) when the protocol or proposal was submitted after data collection (DE=Data Exist) but before data analysis was fully completed.
• RR1 (without P or DE) indicates that either the timeline is undetermined or the protocol/proposal was submitted after data collection and analysis (POST).

Please contact the editor of your target journal to request assignment and publication of an RR1-IRRID in the abstract of your protocol. To encourage participation in the IRRID network, please a link to this site, as the editor may not have heard of the IRRID initiative. If you know other journals or preprint servers not listed here, that publish research protocols (or a peer-review service that peer-reviews protocols or grant proposals), please contact the editor of your target journal and refer them to this site for formal accreditation.

If your research is grant funded, please ask the grant funding agency ito become part part of the IRRID network (refer them to this site). If the peer-review reports of your funding proposal can be published, or whether the agency may be able to assign RR1-IRRIDs. 

Known RR1 journals which publish protocols:

• JMIR Research Protocols: Peer-reviews and publishes protocols from all areas of science
• JMIR Public Health & Surveillance: Publishes protocols and methods of surveillance systems (RR2s are typically rapid surveillance reports) 
• medRxiv in combination with peer-review services or overlay journals such as JMIRx-Med: To get an RR1-IRRID 1) Submit your protocol or funded grant proposal to medRxiv and 2) submit the peer-review from the funding agency to JMIRx-Med for publication
• bioRxiv in combination with peer-review services or overlay journals such as JMIRx-Bio

RR1-IRRID journals or other entities which peer-review protocols (such as funding agencies)

• must publish or at least assign DOIs to protocols or grant proposals, AND
• demonstrate some level of peer-review of the protocol/grant proposal, and be willing to make the peer-reviews openly accessible

RR2-IRRID journals or other entities which peer-review scientific results papers

• agree on a rapid/streamlined peer-review process where the already published RR1 method/protocol is not re-evaluated by the peer-reviewer
• agree to not reject a RR1-registered paper on grounds of negative results. RR2-IRRID journals guarantee acceptance of the RR2 results paper as long as the research is reported according to the RR1 (or deviations are justified) and the research will be reported in accordance with EQUATOR reporting guidelines (some journals may not guarantee acceptance but merely state that chances for acceptance are increased). 
• provide a 10-20% discount on the Article Processing Charge (APC)
• are a member in good standing of the IRRID network (journals and publishers can apply here). 

RR2-IRRID journals are usually open access and are strongly encouraged to publish peer-reviews.