Key points at a glance
- Specify confirmatory questions first.
- Create an unambiguous timestamped plan.
- Disclose later deviations.
Understand the purpose and timing
Preregistration fixes a research plan before collection or before seeing the data to be analysed. It distinguishes planned tests from later exploratory ideas. A registration created afterwards must not be presented as prior.
Write a specific enough plan
Example: “Two existing seminar groups will be compared; the outcome is the score on a specified test; only records without consent will be excluded.” Add recruitment, timing, primary comparison, missing-data rules and limits. A title and vague hypothesis are insufficient.
Check confidentiality and local rules
Do not post identifiable raw data or confidential company information. Check whether an embargoed registration, internal dated plan or another supervised route is appropriate and allowed. Preregistration does not replace ethics review or consent.
Report changes openly
If recruitment or analysis changes, record when, why and with what implications. Preregistration does not prohibit exploration; it makes its origin clear. Link the plan only when permission and privacy allow.
Final submission context
Formal details can feel like a separate writing task, but they matter just as much for a printed submission. Anything missing, misplaced or inconsistently formatted in the document will also appear in the bound copy.
Use this guide together with your cover page, table of contents, page numbers, source notes and appendices. Prepare the final PDF for printing and binding only after the complete file has been checked.
Practical check before PDF export
- Do headings, chapter structure and page numbers match?
- Are sources, figures and tables included completely?
- Are required elements such as declarations, appendices or the cover page included where required?
- Did you open and check the final PDF after exporting it?
Checklist
- Plan recorded before data view.
- Primary analysis specific.
- Confidentiality checked.
- Deviations logged.
Common mistakes
- Backdating a plan.
- Uploading raw personal data.
- Hiding deviations.
Prepare the finished thesis for submission
Once the content and university requirements are checked, review your PDF and the available printing and binding options.
Review printing optionsRelated content
Explore related guidance on thesis structure, sources, formatting and final submission.
Frequently asked questions
Must every thesis be preregistered?
No. It depends on design and local rules.
May I analyse differently later?
Yes, while distinguishing planned from exploratory analyses.
Can an internal plan suffice?
It may help project transparency; whether it meets a formal preregistration goal depends on requirements.