Questionable research practices following pre-registration

Abstract

The credibility of psychological findings can be undermined by a history of questionable research practices (QRPs) of researchers. One remedy for this problem is the use of the pre-registration of studies in which a research protocol is registered before the experiment starts. However, the current style of pre-registration can be negatively affected by other QRPs. The purpose of this paper was to demonstrate the ability to engage in QRPs even after a study has been pre-registered. In the demonstration study, we used a total of 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 gives momentum to further discussions on next-generation research practices.