Making Space for Serendipity and Surprise: Re‐Imagining Open Science Practices in Psychological Research

ABSTRACT

Open science practices, particularly preregistration, have become central to efforts to improve transparency, reproducibility, and rigor in psychological research. At the same time, concerns have emerged that these practices may narrow opportunities for serendipity and surprise, which are critical elements in scientific discovery. In this article, we examine how methodological traditions and research norms shape the conditions under which serendipity and surprise enter the research process. We argue that constraints on discovery arise from the interaction of two reinforcing dynamics: methodological designs that structure what can be observed, and researcher‐centered processes that shape how research questions are generated and interpreted. Building on this analysis, we propose a reconceptualization of preregistration as a system that can be refined to better support discovery while preserving transparency. We outline four reforms—foregrounding uncertainty, documenting discovery processes, supporting responsiveness to unexpected findings, and expanding epistemic scope—and identify practices that create clearer pathways for engaging with unanticipated observations. Together, these reforms can strengthen psychological science by creating greater opportunity for unexpected observations and perspectives to generate new questions, explanations, and directions for research.