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, 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 (2024), JMIR Research Protocols is a Q2 journal in the field of General Medicine, according to Scopus data.

It should be stressed however that most authors do not publish their protocols for "impact" or citations, rather to document their ideas to how to design experiments, to document their successful grant proposals, or to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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RCTs - Protocols/Proposals (non-eHealth)

French Guiana, an overseas territory located in the Guiana Shield in South America, faces unique social and demographic challenges, particularly in relation to migration. Haitians represent 1 of the 3 largest foreign communities in the region and face specific barriers to health care access and prevention. They are also a population exposed to HIV infection.

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Non-randomized Protocols and Methods (ehealth)

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), a group of parenchymal lung disorders, present with varying degrees of inflammation and fibrosis, which lead to symptoms such as progressive breathlessness, impaired quality of life (QoL), and reduced life expectancy. Patients with ILD can experience a sudden worsening of their condition, known as an acute exacerbation, which is associated with inappropriate hospital admissions, concomitant National Health Service (NHS) costs, impaired QoL, and high mortality. The heterogeneity of ILDs, the unpredictability of acute exacerbations, and significant variation in disease progression and response to treatment present numerous management challenges. Standard care typically involves 3-6 monthly hospital outpatient visits to monitor disease and assess response to treatment. Home monitoring with remote review of spirometry, pulse oximetry, and patient-reported measures offers an alternative approach to in-person clinic review and laboratory-based physiological measurements. Clinical trials indicate home monitoring of patients with ILD is acceptable, and results correlate with laboratory-based pulmonary function tests (PFTs). The impact of implementing home monitoring for patients with ILD in a real-world setting is not well understood.

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

Admission to a hospital can be a very stressful and anxiety-provoking experience, as patients face many unknowns that can compromise their physical and psychological well-being. Patient-centered care necessitates that health care organizations and professionals actively comprehend patients’ experiences and values, for which effective training in communication skills is essential.

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Systematic Review Protocols

Insulin resistance (IR) is a central factor in the pathogenesis and progression of metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been investigated as a potential therapy to enhance insulin sensitivity. Compared to multiherb formula therapy, single-herb therapy provides a clearer understanding of its pharmacological effects and mechanisms of action. A systematic review of the available evidence is needed to elucidate the potential effectiveness and harm of single CHMs for IR.

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RCTs - Protocols/Proposals (non-eHealth)

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, relapsing skin condition that significantly impacts patients’ quality of life. In clinical practice, AD is commonly managed through the use of emollients and topical corticosteroids. Haidebao Body Lotion (HBL) incorporated with calcium-based antimicrobial peptide compounds (CAPCS) has demonstrated clinical benefits for patients with mild AD, but there is a lack of high-quality clinical trial evidence.

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

Alcohol consumption is a major public health problem. Its socially engrained nature adds complexity to designing successful reduction approaches. Rather than implementing another intervention, we will undertake a natural experiment on the “sober curious” movement, which gained momentum through social media influencers promoting the idea of reducing alcohol consumption for wellness. We focus on ways to reduce alcohol consumption, through sober curiosity, with 4 heavy-drinking population groups: male construction workers; lesbian, gay, or bisexual women; hospitality workers; and tertiary education students.

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

Pharmacies can implement multiple strategies, including medication disposal programs (eg, disposal boxes, deactivation products, and mail-back envelopes) and offering over-the-counter naloxone, to prevent nonmedical opioid use and overdose. The quantity of opioid prescriptions dispensed in the United States is so high that every other adult could receive one opioid prescription per year. Many of these opioids go unused and are kept in homes rather than disposed of after ceasing use. The primary source of prescription opioids for nonmedical use is relatives or friends, which suggests that the diversion of excess and retained prescription opioids contributes significantly to nonmedical use. Naloxone is a life-saving medication that works as an opioid antagonist to reverse the effects of opioids and restore normal breathing to a person experiencing an overdose. All 50 US states have passed laws (eg, statewide standing orders) that allow pharmacists to distribute naloxone without an individual patient prescription, and the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first over-the-counter naloxone medication in March 2023. Individual and neighborhood characteristics are associated with nonmedical opioid use and overdose. It is essential to ensure that pharmacy-based overdose prevention practices are widely available to all individuals.

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Scoping Review Protocols

Approximately 3% of colorectal cancers (CRCs) are due to Lynch syndrome (LS), a hereditary cancer syndrome caused by pathogenic variants (PVs) in the mismatch repair (MMR) genes. Patients with CRC and LS have elevated lifetime risks for a range of cancers and require personalized treatment and targeted surveillance. Relatives of people affected by LS who share the same PV also have elevated cancer risks and can benefit from preventive measures and/or risk-reducing surgeries. Despite this, LS remains vastly underdiagnosed. Universal tumor screening (UTS) for deficient MMR is recommended in diagnosing LS in patients with CRC. This process, when combined with genetic testing (GT) offered within routine cancer care (termed “mainstream GT”), aims to identify individuals at risk efficiently, but integrating UTS and mainstream GT for LS in CRC is a complex endeavor.

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Systematic Review Protocols

Postoperative delirium of cardiovascular surgery (PODOCVS) is an acute brain dysfunction characterized by inattention, impaired consciousness, and cognitive disorders, and the severity and presence of these symptoms fluctuate over time. PODOCVS occurs during the early postoperative period and is associated with adverse outcomes, including prolonged mechanical ventilation, premature mortality, and so on. Advances in its early diagnosis and treatment have mitigated some of the initial adverse effects of PODOCVS, but models for predicting risk in patients who have already developed PODOCVS remain inadequate for effective secondary prevention. Developing multivariable prediction models for stratifying PODOCVS risk would enable early, personalized interventions.

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

Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is a systemic amyloidosis disorder with early clinical manifestations similar to other heart conditions, which complicates its diagnosis and management. The disease’s insidious nature and its progression to heart failure emphasize the critical need for enhanced recognition and understanding of its clinical landscape.

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RCTs - Protocols/Proposals (non-eHealth)

There is a high, co-dependent strain on health care professionals (HCPs), patients, and their relatives in intensive care units (ICUs), leading to long-term mental, physical, and occupational consequences. To date, there is no systematic intervention to address this growing problem.

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Scoping Review Protocols

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a diverse group of organic chemicals with widespread presence in daily life. VOCs may have detrimental health effects on humans, particularly during critical periods such as pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence. Although the body of evidence is growing, significant gaps remain in the current understanding of the associations of VOCs on health across these developmental stages. Moreover, existing reviews focused on specific VOCs or individual health conditions, highlighting the need for a comprehensive summary of the current literature to stimulate further research.

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Preprints Open for Peer-Review

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