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 1.5 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). 

JMIR Research Protocols received a Journal Impact Factor of 1.5 according to the latest release of the Journal Citation Reports from Clarivate, 2025.

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It should be stressed however that most authors do not publish their protocols for "impact" or citations, rather to document their ideas to how to design experiments, to document their successful grant proposals, or to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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CIHR funded proposals with peer-review reports (Canada)

In mixed methods research (MMR), researchers combine elements of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, methods of data collection and analysis, viewpoints, and integration procedures to gain a deeper understanding of what is being studied, design culturally specific tools, and explore the conditions under which health care interventions succeed or fail. Integration is considered the hallmark of MMR and can occur at various levels, such as sampling, data collection, and analysis. MMR is particularly useful for investigating complex, multilevel programs and interventions and is well-suited to address research problems involving knowledge translation, program evaluations, or comparisons of therapeutic interventions. Although there are many potential benefits of mixed methods in health research, the extent to which mixed methods studies implement integration remains limited, with this specific gap persisting for almost 20 years. The Good Reporting of a Mixed Methods Study (GRAMMS) reporting guidelines were developed in 2008 to help improve the quality of reporting in mixed methods reports and articles. Since then, the field of mixed methods has evolved rapidly, and the guideline no longer reflects current practices and innovations.

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RCTs - Protocols/Proposals (non-eHealth)

Total hip arthroplasty is a highly successful procedure for treating hip arthritis, improving patients’ pain, function, and quality of life (QoL). Scarce publications on total hip arthroplasty performance using Brazilian-manufactured materials report results comparable to those from other countries.

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

After a burn injury, the survivors have to manage and integrate the physical, psychological, and social consequences of their injury into their daily lives, such as functional limitations, aesthetic complaints, and fatigue. How successful survivors of burn injuries are at this depends on their self-management skills. Health care professionals play an important role in supporting the self-management of survivors of burn injuries. Currently, there are no burn-specific self-management support interventions. Therefore, we developed a self-management support intervention for survivors of burn injuries, called BreeZe (Brandwonden en Zelfmanagement).

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Scoping Review Protocols

Health inequities represent a persistent and multifaceted challenge, particularly pronounced for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), including Down syndrome (DS). This population frequently faces systemic barriers to care and is at higher risk of adverse health outcomes Despite advances, gaps persist in health care professionals’ training for caring for this population. Undergraduate medical education constitutes a crucial component in addressing these disparities and promoting inclusive care, especially through practical experiences for future physicians.

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RCTs - Pilots/Feasibility Studies (non-eHealth)

In Ayurveda, (diabetes mellitus) is considered (one among eight diseases difficult to treat and cure). (three bio-humor in Ayurveda) with certain metabolic factors are involved in its pathogenesis. Frequent urination is a common symptom of this disease. Diabetes mellitus can be confused with type 2 diabetes mellitus in conventional science due to the resemblance in cardinal features.

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Scoping Review Protocols

Noninferiority (NI) trial designs that investigate whether an experimental intervention is no worse than the standard of care have been used increasingly in recent years. The robustness of the conclusions depends in part on the analysis population set used. In NI settings, the intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analysis sets are most common. The ITT analysis has been considered anticonservative compared with the PP analysis.

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Non-Randomized Studies (funded, non-eHealth)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Individuals with lower income or experiencing financial hardship face a significantly higher risk of developing CVD. However, there is a lack of in-depth insight into their experiences with CVD, and specific attention to women is essential.

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Scoping Review Protocols (Funded with Peer-Review-Reports)

Undergraduate nursing students are expected to perform a high-stakes clinical skills test, which ultimately determines their ability to engage in clinical practice. With intake number of students growing nationally, clinical instructors are modifying these skills tests to be shorter in duration as an attempt to meet scheduled class times, severely decreasing the assessments’ accuracy and increasing student stress.

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Development of Instruments and Surveys

Structural ableism, defined as the processes, policies, and institutions that privilege able-bodied people over disabled people, is a root cause of health inequalities faced by the disability community. Unlike other forms of structural oppression, there are currently no adequate measurements for structural ableism and its impacts. Therefore, a necessary first step to addressing health inequities that impact the disability community is to create validated measures of structural ableism.

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RCTs - Protocols/Proposals (non-eHealth)

Nonspecific low back pain (NSLBP) is a significant global public health concern that affects the health and well-being of individuals across different age groups, limiting their daily activities and reducing their quality of life. As Tuina (Chinese therapeutic massage) therapy and medicated oil are widely used in China, it is necessary to design a randomized clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of Tuina combined medicated oil (TNO) in treating NSLBP.

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Methods and Feasibility Studies

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) functions according to the concepts of “holism” and treatment based on syndrome differentiation, and it has achieved good clinical results in treating patients with dysmenorrhea, which is a common gynecological disorder. However, there are currently no international clinical practice guidelines involving TCM therapies for dysmenorrhea. This study aims to establish a protocol for the development of such guidelines.

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RCTs - Pilots/Feasibility Studies (eHealth)

Caregivers to a person diagnosed with a glioblastoma often face significant responsibilities, balancing the demands of care with the complexities of the disease and treatment trajectory, while also coping with concerns and uncertainty of the future. Caregivers report unmet needs of information and support throughout the patient’s disease and treatment trajectory, and they may benefit from targeted supportive care interventions.

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Preprints Open for Peer Review

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