Springer Nature’s 2025 white paper puts hard numbers on a long-felt truth: researchers value negative/null results but rarely publish them. In a global survey of 11,000+ researchers across 166 countries, 98% recognised the value of sharing null results; over half (53%) said they generate them—yet only about 30% had ever submitted such findings to a journal. That gap costs science time, money, and momentum. This guide translates Springer Nature’s recommendations into a practical path to publication—and shows how ManuscriptEdit can help you submit with confidence.

ManuscriptEdit quick win: Download our free “Negative-Results Submission Checklist” to stress-test your methods, reporting, data, and cover letter before you submit.

Why Publish negative results in 2025?

Null ≠ nothing. Null results—also called negative or inconclusive results, are outcomes that do not confirm a tested hypothesis. They help the community map boundary conditions, refine theory, and improve methods, rather than repeating what doesn’t work.

The white paper by Springer nature shows tangible benefits when authors do publish nulls. Among those who published, the top three gains were:
• inspiring new hypotheses or methodology (39%),
• identifying issues with methodology (29%), and
• preventing duplication of unnecessary research (28%).

Conversely, not sharing results has a price tag. A related analysis estimates tens of billions of euros lost in Europe each year from research that is conducted but not shared by publication—waste that transparent null-result publishing can reduce.

ManuscriptEdit quick win: Download our free “Null-Results Submission Checklist” to stress-test your manuscript before submission.

Where Can You Publish Null Results? (What Springer Nature Advocates)

Springer Nature underscores that all of its journals publish rigorously peer-reviewed research, and it explicitly highlights inclusive, outcome-neutral options where technically sound research is in scope regardless of result—including Scientific Reports, the BMC Series, the Discover Series, and the Cureus Journals Series. These venues prioritise sound science over novelty, providing a natural home for robust null findings.

At the same time, many authors still assume journals won’t accept nulls, or they’re unsure how to submit them. Addressing this perception gap is part of Springer Nature’s broader call to increase visibility and support (clear policies, guidance for editors and reviewers), promote cultural change (education and success stories), and reform research assessment so rigor—not just “positive” outcomes—is recognised.

ManuscriptEdit quick win: Use our Journal Selection Service to identify outcome-neutral journals that fit your study’s scope and methods.

How To Make Your Null Results Publishable (step-by-step)

Define the question and design clearly: State the hypothesis you tested and the decision rules you set before seeing the data (if applicable). If you preregistered, cite the registry ID. Clear a priori framing helps reviewers see that “no effect” is meaningful rather than accidental.

Power and sensitivity: Explain your sample-size justification and the smallest effect size of interest. If your study was under-powered, be candid and add sensitivity/precision analyses to show which effect sizes can be credibly excluded.

Full-fat methods and materials: Report procedures, inclusion/exclusion criteria, instruments, variables, and deviations from plan in sufficient detail for replication. Where feasible, include protocols and data-study style elements that support reproducibility.

Effect sizes and uncertainty—beyond p-values: Report effect sizes with confidence intervals and provide robustness checks (alternative specifications, sensitivity to assumptions). This shows readers what magnitudes are plausible, even if a test is non-significant.

Data and code sharing (FAIR): Share de-identified data, analysis code, and a README/metadata in a recognised repository. Transparent sharing reduces duplication and enables re-use.

Interpretation with value: Explain what the null means for theory and practice: boundary conditions, alternative mechanisms, or design learnings for future work.

Cover letter strategy: In a brief, forward-looking letter, state that your submission aligns with outcome-neutral, sound-science policies (e.g., inclusive journals noted by Springer Nature), emphasise preregistration/power and your data availability, and summarise how your findings prevent wasteful duplication.

ManuscriptEdit quick win: Request a MARS (Manuscript Assessment & Readiness Score) pre-submission review. We’ll assess methods completeness, effect-size reporting, reproducibility, and policy alignment—then give you a punch-list to fix before editor triage.

What’s Changing Around You (and how to leverage it)

System-level fixes are underway—reforming research assessment to value all validated research; clearly communicating journal policies for nulls; and educational efforts so authors know where and how to submit. As the research ecosystem scales globally, formal publication (with validation and metadata) is increasingly necessary to share knowledge beyond informal networks. Cite this momentum in your cover letter and CV: it signals that your work is aligned with where the system is going.

ManuscriptEdit quick win: Book a 20-minute policy consult. We’ll map your paper to target journals’ guidance on transparency, data, and scope—and help you position it for fair, outcome-neutral review.

Fast FAQ (schema-friendly)

Do journals really accept null results? Yes. Springer Nature explicitly lists inclusive journals that aim to publish all in-scope, technically sound research, and notes that all Springer Nature journals publish rigorously peer-reviewed papers, including those reporting null results.

Will a null paper hurt my citations? Not necessarily—and citations aren’t the only value signal. Authors report benefits such as new hypotheses, improved methods, and avoided duplication. The white paper calls for recognition of rigor regardless of outcome.

What should I call my result—null, negative, inconclusive? All three terms are used; the white paper shows field and regional variation, and notes that “negative results” can carry perceived stigma. Use clear definitions and stick to one term throughout.

Your Next Steps (with ManuscriptEdit)

1) Download the free Null-Results Submission Checklist (15-point, field-agnostic).
2) Get a 48-hour Pre-submission Check (MARS Score + action items).
3) Use Journal Selection Service to shortlist inclusive, outcome-neutral outlets that fit your scope.
4) Polish your manuscript with expert editing (methods clarity, reporting standards, data-statement language).
5) Submit with confidence—and share your dataset/code for maximum impact.

Bottom line: Null results become valuable contributions when they’re visible, well-reported, and reusable. Springer Nature’s 2025 findings confirm the demand; ManuscriptEdit gives you the tools to act on it.