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A deviation from preregistration is not automatically a research mistake. What matters is why the change occurred, when it was made, whether the results influenced it, and whether it is reported transparently.
Read Guide →A useful deviation report tells readers what was preregistered, what actually happened, why the change occurred, and when the decision was made. The goal is to make differences easy to find and interpret rather than forcing readers to reconstruct them.
Read Guide →Preregistration can make important research decisions more transparent and encourage advance planning, but it cannot turn weak methods into strong ones. A preregistered study still needs to be evaluated on its design, measurement, sampling, analysis, execution, and interpretation.
Read Guide →You can sometimes change a research design after data collection has started, but the timing, reason, consequences, and documentation of the change matter. The key is to adapt transparently without quietly redefining the study around what the emerging data appear to show.
Read Guide →The people you can recruit are not always the people you originally intended to study. Before broadening eligibility or changing recruitment settings, determine whether the accessible population can still provide evidence relevant to the original research question.
Read Guide →A measure that performs poorly after data collection begins can threaten the link between your data and the construct you intended to study. Before modifying or replacing it, determine what is actually failing and what any change would mean for data already collected.
Read Guide →A method can be implemented perfectly and still be wrong for the question it is supposed to answer. When that mismatch becomes apparent, reassess what evidence the question requires before deciding whether to adapt the method, narrow the question, or redesign the study.
Read Guide →Not every change to a research sample creates a different study. The critical issue is whether the revised sample still provides evidence about essentially the same population and research question, or whether the change alters what the study is actually about.
Read Guide →Not every tiny departure from a research plan deserves equal space in a publication, but deviations that affect interpretation, participant protections, planned analyses, or confidence in the findings generally should be visible. The goal is to let readers understand the study that was actually conducted.
Read Guide →Every real study operates under constraints, so some methodological compromise is unavoidable. The critical question is whether the remaining design can still support the claims you intend to make after those compromises are considered together.
Read Guide →Research, inquiry, and investigation all involve seeking answers, but the terms emphasize different aspects of that process. Understanding their overlap helps clarify when asking questions or investigating a problem becomes formal research.
Read Guide →Basic research seeks understanding without a specific practical application as its primary aim, while applied research is directed toward a specific practical objective. The distinction is useful, but many studies sit closer to a continuum than a clean either-or divide.
Read Guide →A research gap describes what existing knowledge does not adequately answer, while a research problem defines the specific issue your study will investigate. Learn how the two concepts connect without treating them as interchangeable.
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