Questionable research practices following pre-registration

Abstract

The credibility of psychological findings can be undermined by a history of questionable research practices (QRPs) by researchers. One remedy for this problem is the pre-registration of a study in which a research protocol is registered before beginning an experiment. However, the current style of pre-registration can be negatively affected by other QRPs. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that researchers can engage in QRPs, even after a study has been preregistered. In this demonstration study, we used eight QRPs to obtain statistically meaningful results that supported an ad hoc hypothesis. Major system updates such as pre-registration, peer review, and evaluation are required to address these harmful practices. We hope that the present demonstration study provides momentum for further discussions on next-generation research practices.