Which practice promotes transparency in research?

Which practice promotes transparency in research?

• A. Preregistration, complete reporting, and disclosure of conflicts of interest
• B. Hiding methods
• C. Withholding data until publication
• D. Only reporting favorable results

Answer: (A)

Transparency in research comes from making the plan, the data, and any potential biases open and available for scrutiny. Preregistration requires stating hypotheses, methods, and analysis plans before collecting data, which helps prevent changing plans after seeing the results and reduces questionable practices like p-hacking. Complete reporting ensures that all methods and results are shared, including null or negative findings, so others can reproduce and evaluate the study. Disclosure of conflicts of interest reveals any financial or personal ties that could bias the work, letting readers judge potential influences on design, conduct, or interpretation. Together, these steps build trust and enable verification and replication. Hiding methods, withholding data until publication, or only reporting favorable results undermine transparency and bias the literature.

Transparency in research comes from making the plan, the data, and any potential biases open and available for scrutiny. Preregistration requires stating hypotheses, methods, and analysis plans before collecting data, which helps prevent changing plans after seeing the results and reduces questionable practices like p-hacking. Complete reporting ensures that all methods and results are shared, including null or negative findings, so others can reproduce and evaluate the study. Disclosure of conflicts of interest reveals any financial or personal ties that could bias the work, letting readers judge potential influences on design, conduct, or interpretation. Together, these steps build trust and enable verification and replication. Hiding methods, withholding data until publication, or only reporting favorable results undermine transparency and bias the literature.