## WILLOW PTARMIGAN PROJECT IN LIERNE: PREREGISTERED HYPOTHESIS AND ANALYSIS PLANS
In this component, we will collect our pre-registered hypothesis and analysis plans. Part of what we do in this project will be mainly *exploratory*, and we intend to report it as such. However, we will also use the data collected in this project to test hypothesis (*confirmatory research*) realated related to ecological- and life history theory. Because this is an ongoing study, we will clearly not be able to develop the reaserch hypotheses prior to data collection. However, even in such cases there are substantial benefits related to pre-registration when it comes to increased scientific rigor and reduced risk of false positive findings. In our case, there are two main conditions that are relevant:
### Registration prior to access to the data
This will be relevant for students. In cases where student thesis set out to test ecological or life-history theory, the students will typically not access the data before the hypothesis to be tested have been developed.
### Registration prior to analysis of data
When project personnel or PhD students pre-register hypothsis or analysis plans, typically this will be the condition that apply.