New OSF Registries Enhancements Improve Efficiency and Quality of Registrations

We’re excited to announce new user improvements to OSF Registries, a scholarly repository designed to facilitate transparency and rigor in research. With OSF Registries, you can search existing registrations or create and aggregate your own rigorous research materials while making them discoverable across a variety of top registries (ClinicalTrials.gov, Research Registry, etc.).

What’s New
The latest enhancements to OSF Registries impact how users interact with and navigate registrations. First of all, we’ve made key content more prominent to those visiting your registration landing page. Our new layout pulls your registration’s metadata and form details forward for viewers to browse, identify, and search for relevant content more easily.

In the example above, you’ll notice the improved collapsible navigation menu on the left allows for quick access to various components of your research. On the right, metadata such as contributors, descriptions, DOI, and tags are now visible without requiring viewers to leave the page, as was the case before.

Editable Metadata
Have you ever completed a registration and wished you could go back and tweak the metadata fields after submission? Now, you can edit keywords, subjects, licenses, and descriptions without affecting the registration form details! After receiving regular feedback requesting editable metadata fields, we are happy to finally rollout this critical functionality for users.

Streamlined Registration Workflow
The process of submitting a registration will be easier than ever with our upcoming redesigned workflow. Our team is working to provide you with an intuitive registration process from start to finish through a simplified interface and guided workflow. Not only will this streamline the registration process for users, this updated process ensures each registration is optimized for discoverability through strategic fields, improving both the efficiency and quality of the registration process.

Branded Registries
Once the aforementioned submission and search optimization enhancements are finalized, the new OSF Registries interface will serve as the foundation for current and future branded registries—a service for groups who wish to manage registrations and affiliated material according to their needs.

Is your institution or organization interested in launching your own branded registry and cultivating new standards of integrity and rigor in your field? We work to help you individualize your registry using OSF’s secure, flexible, open-source infrastructure. Learn more about our branded registries requirements and roadmap, or send us an email at support@osf.io to discover how a customized registry experience can benefit your communities.

In just a short time, registration submissions through OSF Registries have grown considerably—demonstrating significant shifts toward adoption of open and reproducible research. In the meantime, with the help of vested supporters, we continue to develop and improve infrastructure designs that reward and allow open science adopters to succeed in their efforts.

Whether you're registering your work, searching for content across registries, or looking to launch your own branded registry, COS is committed to providing you and your communities with an infrastructure that considers your time, needs, and investment.

Have feedback or questions about OSF Registries? Connect with us at support@osf.io.

This work was made possible through the generous support of John Templeton Foundation, Templeton Religion Trust, and Templeton World Charity Foundation.