Registration of clinical trials and systematic reviews in various databases has improved the ability to detect publication bias. Also, the registration of core elements of a pre-specified analysis plan enables interested readers to reflect on the risk of selective publication of outcomes. Thus, the increased rate of publication of full study protocols with analysis plans is an important improvement.

Empirical studies of clinical research methods provide increasingly important basis for how clinical research results could and should be interpreted. However, so far systems for registration of methods studies have been limited. It is likely that the risk of publication bias and bias due to selective reporting of outcomes and analysis is not unique to trials and systematic reviews. Methods studies provide an important basis for the methodological refinement and development of Cochrane methods and systematic review methods in general. It is important to minimise the risk of publication bias and outcome reporting bias also in such studies.

Therefore, the BMG has launched the BMG Study Registry – a registry for all empirical studies of clinical research methods.