Extensions of Open Science for Applied Behavior Analysis: Preregistration for Single Case Experimental Designs

Open science practices are designed to enhance the utility, integrity, and credibility of scientific research. This paper highlights how preregistration as a key open science practice can be leveraged to enhance the rigor and transparency of single-case experimental designs (SCEDs) within an applied behavior analysis (ABA) framework. We provide an overview of the benefits of preregistration, including increased transparency, reduced risk of researcher bias, and improved replicability, and we review the specific contexts under which these practices most benefit the proposed framework. We discuss potential concerns with and unique considerations for preregistering SCED experiments, with practical guidance for researchers seeking to preregister their studies. We present a checklist as a tool for ABA researchers to engage in preregistration and provide recommendations for our field to strengthen the contingencies for open science practices inclusive of preregistration.