What is the purpose of preregistering outcomes in a reproducibility plan?

• A. To reduce outcome-reporting bias
• B. To increase data collection speed
• C. To hide deviations
• D. To avoid sharing results

Answer: (A)

Preregistering outcomes in a reproducibility plan focuses on preventing outcome-reporting bias by specifying in advance exactly which outcomes will be measured and how they will be analyzed. When researchers commit to reporting a predefined set of outcomes before collecting data, it becomes harder to cherry-pick significant results or alter analyses after seeing the data, which improves transparency and makes replication more credible. This isn’t about speeding data collection, hiding deviations, or avoiding sharing results—the preregistration helps ensure that results are reported as planned and that any deviations are disclosed.