Registered Reports

Guidelines for Registered Report Abstract Submissions

Overview

The European Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and Biology (ESMRMB) is introducing registered reports as a new abstract submission format. This format is designed to enhance the rigor and transparency of research in magnetic resonance, including both method development and clinical applications. Registered reports outline planned research prior to data collection, focusing on the quality of methodology and statistical analysis rather than results.

What is a Registered Report?

A registered report is a research plan that is peer-reviewed before the research is conducted. For this conference, registered report abstracts describe your planned investigation including the rationale, hypothesis, methodology, and statistical analysis plan. Registered reports are particularly valuable for confirmatory (hypothesis-testing) research, but less suitable for exploratory research.

Suitable Abstract Categories

Clinical Research

Clinical studies are natural candidates for registered reports and should include:

1. Clear hypotheses derived from prior evidence
2. Detailed methodology including imaging parameters, subject recruitment criteria, and data analysis pipelines
3. Appropriate statistical approaches with sample size justification
4. Defined outcome measures with clinically meaningful thresholds

Method Development Research

Method development studies, while traditionally not considered candidates for registered reports, are suitable when they include a clear validation component. These submissions should:

1. Provide preliminary data demonstrating technical feasibility (in vitro and/or initial in vivo data)
2. Outline specific hypotheses regarding method performance (e.g., "The proposed method will achieve X% higher CNR for Y type of lesions compared to the current gold standard")
3. Detail the validation approach with clear metrics of success
4. Include a sample size justification based on preliminary data or literature

Required Components

All registered report abstracts must include:

1. Introduction

• Concise background and rationale
• Clear gap in knowledge being addressed
• Relevance to clinical practice or technological advancement

2. Hypothesis

• Explicit, testable hypothesis or hypotheses
• For method development: specific performance metrics to be achieved
• For clinical studies: expected clinical outcomes or relationships

3. Theory and methods (optional)

For method-development abstracts, a section describing the novel method being presented should be included here.

4. Preliminary Data

Submissions must include one or more of the following:

• Pilot data demonstrating technical feasibility of the proposed method, including:
  • Initial in vitro validation results
  • Preliminary in vivo testing
• Literature review with meta-analysis for expected effect sizes
• Initial exploratory study results that inform the confirmatory study design

5. Study protocol

• Study design and population
• MR acquisition protocol with detailed parameters
• Additional measurements or interventions
• For method development: implementation details and validation approach
• Data processing pipeline

6. Statistical Analysis Plan

• Primary and secondary outcome measures
• Statistical tests to be performed
• Sample size calculation with justification
• Anticipated effect sizes based on preliminary data or literature
• Handling of potential confounders
• Plan for missing data

Evaluation Criteria

Registered report abstracts will be evaluated based on:

1. Scientific merit and innovation
2. Methodological rigor
3. Quality of preliminary data supporting feasibility
4. Appropriateness of statistical approach and sample size justification

Important Notes

• Registered report abstracts are not "half abstracts" but complete research plans.
• Focus is on confirmatory rather than exploratory research.
• Preliminary data should be sufficient to justify the proposed approach.
• Registered reports represent a commitment to the outlined methodology.
• The authors of accepted abstracts are expected to submit the final results at the 2026 ESMRMB conference, by the usual May deadline (in the category: second stage abstracts). These second stage abstracts will be solely evaluated on the adherence to the stated plan, and will be accepted regardless of the positivity or negativity of the results.

Submission Format

Abstracts should be submitted in structured format following the sections outlined above, with a maximum length of 5000 characters (excluding references). Up to two figures may be included showing preliminary data or methodological approach.

Examples

• Example for a Registered Report for Method Development
• Example for a Registered Report for a Clinical Application