Studying Identity and Migration in the Open Science Era: Lessons Learned from Registered Reports

In the open science era, Registered Reports (RRs) have emerged as a novel publication format aimed at addressing challenges in research replicability and transparency. This article explores the application of RRs to the study of identity and migration, focusing on the advantages and limitations of this format across both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. While RRs have been predominantly adopted in quantitative studies to mitigate issues like p-hacking and the publication bias towards positive results, their potential for qualitative research remains underexplored. Through the lens of creating a special issue on identity and migration, this article examines the feasibility of RRs in fostering rigorous, transparent, and contextually grounded scholarship. Seven RRs are reviewed, encompassing diverse methodological approaches and sociocultural contexts, which collectively highlight the fluidity of social identities and the impact of migration on identity formation. In the current article, we reflect on both the content of these studies, as well as the process of cultivating a special issue based solely on RRs. Specifically, we advocate for tailored guidelines that respect the iterative nature of qualitative inquiry, while encouraging the broader adoption of RRs to advance global research on identity and migration.