The Ulysses pact

Abstract Registered reports (RRs) are gaining traction in applied linguistics as a means to enhance research transparency and credibility by disincentivizing questionable research practices that are aimed at generating statistically significant findings, and by mitigating publication bias. While the benefits of RRs are well-theorized in the literature, less is known about authors’ experiences of conducting RRs. This study explored the first-hand experiences of 12 authors of RRs in applied linguistics from an emic perspective currently underrepresented in the field. Through semi-structured interviews, we examined authors’ motivations for engaging in RRs, perceived benefits and challenges, and reflections on RRs. Our findings revealed that authors valued RRs for promoting scientific rigor and offering publication guarantee and found the process to be highly beneficial. However, tensions were also found in the process, ranging from the potentially time-consuming nature of RRs to reduced autonomy and role ambiguity experienced by some authors. Based on these insights, we offer recommendations for improving the RR process and call for greater support for all stakeholders in the process, including reviewers and editors. We also compiled a list of recommendations by our participants to aid future authors in choosing and navigating RRs.