Improving research on developmental psychopathology with Registered Reports

The quality of research across psychology needs improvement. Ample evidence has indicated that publication bias, specifically making publication decisions based on a study's results, has led to a distorted literature (e.g., high rates of false positives). Registered Reports, which can now be submitted to <i>Development and Psychopathology,</i> are a recent publication format designed to combat publication bias and problematic research practices. The format represents a shift from a system in which publication decisions are based on the nature of the findings, to one that is based on the quality of the study conceptualization and design. In this invited <i>Views</i> article, we introduce the Registered Reports format to <i>Development and Psychopathology</i> by arguing that they <i>can</i> and <i>should</i> be used in developmental psychopathology research. We first describe what Registered Reports are and why they are useful. We then review 10 commonly expressed concerns about publishing Registered Reports - including that they are not appropriate for studies using preexisting data, that they do not allow for exploratory analyses, and that they take too long to publish - explaining why these concerns are unwarranted. We hope that this article will allay concerns about publishing Registered Reports, and that readers will submit them to <i>Development and Psychopathology.</i>