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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 1.6 More information about Impact Factor CiteScore 2.8 More information about CiteScore

JMIR Research Protocols is a unique journal indexed in PubMed, PubMed Central (PMC), MEDLINE, Sherpa Romeo, DOAJ, Scopus, Web of Science(WoS)/ESCI, 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). 

It should be stressed however that most authors do not publish their protocols for "impact" or citations, rather to document their ideas to how to design experiments, to document their successful grant proposals, or to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"!

The journal is indexed in PubMed, PubMed Central (PMC), MEDLINE, Sherpa Romeo, DOAJ, Scopus, Web of Science(WoS)/ESCI, and EBSCO.

JMIR Research Protocols received a 2025 Impact Factor of 1.6, ranking Q3 in Public, Environmental & Occupational Health and Health Care Sciences & Services. 

JMIR Research Protocols received a Scopus CiteScore of 2.8 (2025), placing it in the 68th percentile (210/669) as a second quartile (Q2) journal in the field of General Medicine.

Recent Articles

Woman breaking a cigarette in half, symbolizing quitting smoking.
RCTs - Protocols/Proposals (funded, already peer-reviewed, eHealth)

Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of cancer mortality in the United States. Varenicline is the most effective monotherapy for smoking cessation, and combining it with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) may further improve cessation rates. Smartphone-based medication adherence interventions could enhance pharmacotherapy adherence and cessation outcomes.

Woman reviewing smartwatch data timeline on computer screen
Proposals (eHealth)

Personalized medicine requires an understanding of health conditions in real-world settings, but traditional clinical tools are often poorly suited for longitudinal tracking due to logistical hurdles, high participant burden, and data quality issues. While consumer wearables offer a scalable alternative, decentralized clinical trials introduce new challenges in patient recruitment, sustained engagement, and data management. Insomnia serves as a suitable use case for this protocol due to its global prevalence, frequent underdiagnosis, and the well-documented discrepancy between subjective patient reports and objective physiological metrics.

Hand squeezing white cream from tube onto fingertip
RCTs - Protocols/Proposals (non-eHealth)

Radiation dermatitis (RD) is a common and clinically significant toxicity affecting the majority of patients undergoing external beam radiation therapy, particularly those treated for head and neck cancer (HNC). RD can impair quality of life, limit treatment intensity, and compromise oncologic outcomes; yet, there is no established standard-of-care for its prevention or management. Preclinical studies suggest that a topically reformulated proton pump inhibitor (PPI), esomeprazole (Dermaprazole), has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic properties that may mitigate radiation-induced skin injury.

Elderly couple walking arm-in-arm on a sun-dappled park path surrounded by trees.
NIH funded proposals with peer-review reports (USA)

Gait dysfunction is a preclinical marker of Alzheimer disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD), often emerging years before clinical diagnosis. While much of the existing literature has focused on the pathological mechanisms driving motor and cognitive decline, the neural and biological substrates that confer resilience against such decline remain poorly understood. Individuals who maintain exceptional gait performance into advanced age, termed Super Movers, represent a unique phenotype of resilient aging. Understanding the biological profile of these individuals offers a unique and largely untapped window into the mechanisms underlying healthy aging and resilience to dementia.

Doctor shows tablet to mother and daughter, girl has glucose monitor on arm.
CIHR funded proposals with peer-review reports (Canada)

Digital platforms that integrate continuous glucose monitoring, patient-generated data, and clinical decision support could enable more proactive pediatric type 1 diabetes (T1D) care. Sustained uptake of digital platforms in routine practice is limited, and the evidence of effectiveness is mixed. Implementation science approaches are needed to clarify how context, workflows, and strategies shape adoption and outcomes. Haibu Diabetes is a new platform that brings together wearable, patient-reported, and clinical diabetes data to generate personalized, data-driven insights for patients and clinicians.

Couple reviewing health data on a smartphone app
RCTs - Protocols/Proposals (eHealth)

Chronic liver disease (CLD) remains a substantial public health burden, particularly among middle-aged men with metabolic risk factors. Sustained lifestyle modification is essential for preventing disease progression, but long-term self-management in this population is often suboptimal. Although mobile health (mHealth) interventions may support self-management, most are patient-centered and rarely incorporate structured family participation.

Boy wearing a sleep headband sleeping peacefully on a blue pillow
Non-Randomized Studies (funded, non-eHealth)

Sleep disturbances are prevalent in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and worsen daytime functioning, yet their neural bases remain poorly understood. This may reflect the challenges of laboratory-based polysomnography for individuals with ASD, including sensory sensitivities and difficulty adapting to changes in routine. The advent of wearable electroencephalography (EEG) devices allows for remote data collection in the home and facilitates large-scale sleep studies.

Woman in a cozy sweater using a smartphone with a blurred green background
Non-Randomized Studies (funded, eHealth)

Due to advances in cancer diagnostics and treatments, life expectancy after cancer and the number of cancer survivors are increasing. Symptoms and late effects frequently occur in cancer survivors, with a negative impact on functioning and participation in society. Digital health tools might be helpful to systematically assess symptom burden of late effects and rehabilitation needs.

Person holds paper with colorful "ADHD" text
Non-Randomized Study Protocols and Methods (Non-eHealth)

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder associated with significant impairments in academic, social, and daily functioning. Despite the availability of clinical practice guidelines in Malaysia, evidence on real-world treatment patterns and outcomes remains limited. The lack of multicenter data on treatment use and clinical outcomes hinders the evaluation of current ADHD care and opportunities for service improvement.

Nurse attaches electrodes to patient's neck during medical monitoring
RCTs - Protocols/Proposals (non-eHealth)

Poststroke dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) is a common disabling complication of stroke and is associated with malnutrition, aspiration pneumonia, impaired quality of life, and mortality. Conventional swallowing rehabilitation and instrumental assessment are useful but may be limited by equipment dependence and inconsistent accessibility. Interactive acupuncture is a dynamic acupuncture procedure in which short needling stimulation at selected nape acupoints is synchronized with active swallowing tasks.

Preprints Open for Peer Review

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This journal is indexed in

  • PubMed
  • PubMed CentralMEDLINE
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  • ScopusDOAJDOAJ Seal
    Sherpa RomeoEBSCO/EBSCO Essentials

  • Web of Science - ESCI