Tools of the Trade: A Guide to Sociodemographic Reporting for Researchers, Reviewers, and Editors

Abstract

In recent years, psychological researchers have been heavily criticized for generalizing broadly from narrow samples, a concern that intersects with questions about the validity, reproducibility, replicability, and generalizability of the psychological literature. One issue is the limited reporting of participants’ identities, backgrounds, and lived experiences. To address this issue, several journals have begun to require greater reporting of participants’ sociodemographic information. In this article, we address both challenges and considerations with respect to sociodemographic reporting for researchers, reviewers, and journal editors. We provide guidance for recording, evaluating, protecting, and interpreting sociodemographic data.