Provide public access to ethics-approved study protocols

"Daniël Lakens argues for methodological review of study protocols before data are collected (Nature 613, 9; 2023). I call, in addition, for all study protocols involving ethics approval to be made publicly available once approval is granted. At a minimum, the protocols should be included in submitted and published research papers.

Sharing protocols is part of open science (see, for example, go.nature.com/4oicpuy and go.nature.com/4odf6wi). But biomedical research frequently flouts open-science principles (S. Serghiou et al. PLoS Biol. 19, e3001107; 2021). Protocols are often not available or not provided on request. When they are provided, they commonly date from after the study began, or do not align with study conduct and reporting (D. Campbell et al. Trials 23, 674; 2022)...."