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The value of open science and reproducible research has been increasingly recognized in contemporary psychiatric research. It is also a key component of TIMESPAN. We aim for pre-registration of protocols on relevant platforms along with the final version of the R code (e.g., https://osf.io/). Our open science strategy also highlight the value of providing a description of how to access raw data for each data source (with online materials typically included in data sharing statements), and whenever possible, presenting aggregated raw data for all study variables in the appendix of publications.

I recently co-authored an editorial, together with Dr Jessie Baldwin, to describe how open science and reproducible research practices in psychiatric research can be implemented through registered reports. Registered Reports are a format of article in which the study protocol is pre‐registered and peer‐reviewed before the research is conducted. If the protocol is of high quality and the proposed research topic is important, the journal will commit to publishing the study regardless of the results. This article format crucially addresses publication bias, as decisions on publication are entirely independent of the results. Among many things, our editorial provided recommendations to consider when preparing a Registered Report. 

• Ensure that your study addresses an important research question, using high quality, robust methods. Describe the methods in sufficient detail to allow replication and prevent undisclosed flexibility in the analysis.
• Make analytic code openly available on GitHub or the Open Science Framework
• When possible, make data and materials openly available. 
• Consider collaboration with relevant stakeholders such as patients, families, and communities with lived experience throughout the research process to ensure that studies are relevant, ethical, and impactful.

Learn more about open science and reproducible research and also about Registered Reports by reading our editorial.

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