JMIR Research Protocols

Protocols, grant proposals, registered reports (RR1)

Editor-in-Chief:

Amy Schwartz, MSc, Ph.D., Scientific Editor at JMIR Publications, Ontario, Canada


Impact Factor 1.4 CiteScore 2.4

JMIR Research Protocols  (JRP, ISSN 1929-0748) is a unique journal indexed in PubMed, PubMed Central (PMC), MEDLINE, Sherpa Romeo, DOAJ, Scopus, Web of Science(WoS)/ESCI/SCIE, and EBSCO, publishing peer-reviewed, openly accessible research ideas and grant proposals, and study and trial protocols (also referred to as Registered Report Stage 1 papers). 

In 2024, JMIR Research Protocols received a Journal Impact Factor™ of 1.4 (5-Year Journal Impact Factor™: 1.5) according to the latest release of the Journal Citation Reports™ from Clarivate, 2024. 

With a CiteScore of 2.4, JMIR Research Protocols ranks in the 66th percentile (#211 of 636) as a Q2 journal in the field of General Medicine.

It should be stressed however that most authors do not publish their protocols for "impact" or citations, rather to document their ideas to how to design experiments, to document their successful grant proposals, or to publish (and maybe brag a little about) their already funded protocols (which do not require additional peer-review). We offer this platform for scientists to publish peer-reviewed protocols for a very low APF, and unfunded protocols for a reasonable fee that includes peer-review. 

While the original focus was on eHealth studies, JRP now publishes protocols and grant proposals in all areas of medicine, and their peer-review reports, if available (preliminary results from pilot studies, early results, and formative research should now be published in JMIR Formative Research).

JRP is fully open access, with full-text articles deposited in PubMed Central.

Why should I publish my protocol? 

  • JRP publishes research protocols, grant proposals, pilot/feasibility studies and early reports of ongoing and planned work that encourages collaboration and early feedback, and reduces duplication of effort.
  • JRP will be a valuable educational resource for researchers who want to learn about current research methodologies and how to write a winning grant proposal.
  • JRP creates an early scientific record for researchers who have developed novel methodologies, software, innovations or elaborate protocols.
  • JRP provides a "dry-run" for peer-review of the final results paper, and allows feedback/critique of the methods, often while they still can be fixed.
  • JRP enhances rigor and demonstrates to reviewers of subsequent results papers that authors followed and adhered to carefully developed and described a-priori methods, rather than fishing for P-values (HARKing).
  • JRP facilitates and guarantees subsequent publication of results demonstrating that the methodology has already been reviewed, and reduces the effort of writing up the results, as the protocol can be easily referenced.
  • JRP is compatible with the concept of "Registered Reports" and since May 2018, published protocols receive an International Registered Report Identifier (What is a Registered Report Identifier?) and acceptance of the subsequent results paper is "in principle" guaranteed in any JMIR journal and partner journals - see What is a Registered Report?. We assign an IRRID (International Registered Report Identifier) to each published protocol, faciliating the linking between protocol and final study, and also indicating that results papers of studies are also "in principle accepted" for subsequent publication in other JMIR journals (or other members of the IRRID Registry Network) as long as authors adhere to their original protocol - regardless of study results (even if they are negative), reducing publication bias in medicine.
  • Authors publishing their protocols in JRP will receive a 20% discount on the article processing fee if they publish their results in another journal of the JMIR journal family (for example, JMIR for e-health studies, i-JMR for others).

Need more reasons? Read the Knowledge Base article on "Why should I publish my protocol/grant proposal"!

 

Recent Articles

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Non-randomized Protocols and Methods (ehealth)

To support lifelong health promotion and disease prevention, Santé publique France studied the methodology for building a social marketing scheme with a digital intervention targeting middle-aged adults, specifically socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. The digital intervention aims to encourage people aged 40-55 years to look after their health in the short and medium terms by adopting small actions relating to 8 health determinants: nutrition, physical activity, smoking, alcohol, stress, cognitive health, sleep, and environmental health. In the long term, the intervention intends to prevent frailty and reduce the burden of multimorbidities in older age, particularly for lower socioeconomic groups.

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Systematic Review Protocols

Medical therapy and interventional approaches have improved outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). However, these strategies are inadequate for replacing cells lost during tissue ischemia, thereby leaving behind noncontractile scar tissue. The anti-inflammatory and immune modulating properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may prove useful in inducing functional cardiac regeneration following acute MI.

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RCTs - Protocols/Proposals (eHealth)

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) require a longer period of care, for which health care systems must acquire technologically advanced solutions to enhance patient care. Swasthya Pahal (health for all) is an innovative, interactive, multilingual, stand-alone, internet-enabled computer-based program that aims to improve the self-management of NCDs.

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RCTs - Protocols/Proposals (non-eHealth)

The increasing development and spread of artificial and assistive intelligence is opening up new areas of application not only in applied medicine but also in related fields such as continuing medical education (CME), which is part of the mandatory training program for medical doctors in Germany. This study aimed to determine whether medical laypersons can successfully conduct training courses specifically for physicians with the help of a large language model (LLM) such as ChatGPT-4. This study aims to qualitatively and quantitatively investigate the impact of using artificial intelligence (AI; specifically ChatGPT) on the acquisition of credit points in German postgraduate medical education.

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Non-randomized Protocols and Methods (ehealth)

Freezing of gait (FoG) is one of the most disabling symptoms of Parkinson disease (PD). Detecting and monitoring episodes of FoG are important in the medical follow-up of patients to assess disease progression and functional impact and to adjust treatment accordingly. Although several questionnaires exist, they lack objectivity. Using wearable sensors such as inertial measurement units (IMUs) to detect FoG episodes offers greater objectivity and accuracy. There is no consensus on the number and location of IMU, type of algorithm, and method of triggering and scoring the FoG episodes.

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Non-Randomized Study Protocols and Methods (Non-eHealth)

Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most common type of headache and the second most common health-related complaint among children and adults. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers unique therapeutic benefits in treating TTH. However, the lack of standardized evidence—such as inconsistencies in outcome selection and reporting in clinical studies, a lack of consensus on outcomes and measures, high risks of selective reporting bias, and missing data—has limited the development of robust evidence supporting the efficacy of TCM in treating TTH. Therefore, establishing a core outcome set (COS) is crucial for standardizing TCM clinical studies for TTH, thereby enhancing the quality and comparability of research findings.

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RCTs - Protocols/Proposals (funded, already peer-reviewed, eHealth)

Older adults are more likely to have multiple chronic conditions, be prescribed multiple medications, and be more susceptible to adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to their medications. In addition, older adults often use over-the-counter medications and supplements, further complicating their medication regimens. Complex medication regimens are potentially harmful to older adults. Interventions aimed at reducing medication discrepancy in the ambulatory clinic setting, such as reviews of medication lists and the implementation of “brown bag” reconciliation, continue to be challenging, with limited success. Pharmacist-led interventions to improve appropriate medication use in older adults have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing ADRs. Video visits have the potential to provide direct visualization of medications in older adults’ homes, thereby reducing medication discrepancy and increasing medication adherence. Pharmacist-led management of older adults’ medication regimens may improve appropriate medication use in older adults.

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RCTs - Protocols/Proposals (eHealth)

Physical activity (PA) has been recommended in multiple sclerosis (MS) to maintain good physical fitness and mental health, reduce the severity of symptoms and risk of relapse, and improve quality of life. Pilates has been suggested as an ideal PA to manage physical, cognitive, and psychological symptoms of MS and a useful method to maintain and improve balance and gait.

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RCTs - Protocols/Proposals (non-eHealth)

Anal fissure is a common proctologic condition that causes significant pain and anguish to patients, significantly impacting their quality of life and well-being. There are various treatment options for anal fissure, ranging from pharmacological agents that reduce anal sphincter tone to surgical interventions for cases resistant to medical management. Ayurvedic treatments have shown potential for the therapeutic management of anal fissure.

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Systematic Review Protocols

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most prevalent neoplasm worldwide and the fourth with the highest mortality, and its geographical distribution is not homogeneous with high-risk, intermediate-risk (IR), and low-risk areas. Advanced stages at diagnosis are related to high mortality, but early detection greatly increases the chances of survival. Upper endoscopy with biopsy is the gold standard for GC diagnosis. Several studies have investigated the relevance of endoscopic screening and how to implemente it in IR countries. However, most Western societies recommend screening only in selected populations with high-risk factors for GC. No systematic reviews on GC endoscopic screening in IR countries exist.

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Non-Randomized Study Protocols and Methods (Non-eHealth)

Adherence and persistence to positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy are key factors for positive health outcomes. Home support providers participate in the home implementation and follow-up of PAP therapy for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In Europe, home support provider service levels are country (or area) specific, resulting in differences in content and frequency of patient interactions. However, no robust evaluation of the impact of these differences on clinical and patient outcomes has been performed.

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Scoping Review Protocols

There is a scarcity of data on males’ health-seeking behavior, as well as their access to and use of health care services, in Africa. According to some studies, men are less likely than women to seek medical help for issues such as communicable and noncommunicable diseases, depression, substance abuse, physical disabilities, and stressful life events. The study of males’ health-seeking behaviors is important, because it allows us to learn about male health, how masculinity encourages underuse of health care services, how this affects males’ overall health and well-being, and how cultural values and backgrounds may impact older men’s health-seeking behaviors.

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Preprints Open for Peer-Review

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