Transparency in (Quasi‐)Experimental L2 Research: A Systematic Review of Applied Linguistics Journals in China

ABSTRACT

As the open science movement has gained momentum and the emphasis on study quality has increased in applied linguistics, transparency has become both a methodological necessity and an ethical imperative across the field. However, systematic evaluations of transparency in applied linguistics remain limited. Drawing on previous synthetic work, this systematic review examined the transparency practices in quantitative second language (L2) (quasi‐)experimental research being carried out in China. We coded 393 studies drawn from 330 peer‐reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2024 in 19 major applied linguistics journals for 108 indicators of transparency. These features spanned the entire research cycle, from the formulation of research questions to the documentation of participants, experimental manipulations, measurement procedures, data collection and analysis, and results reporting. The findings revealed both strengths and persistent limitations across these domains. We conclude by discussing the implications for enhancing transparency within the context of Chinese L2 research and in the broader discipline of applied linguistics, and by providing recommendations for multiple groups of stakeholders.