Data Sharing & Data Availability Policy

1. Policy Statement

Veridion Press supports transparency, reproducibility, and responsible research practices. Authors are encouraged, and in some cases required, to make the data underlying their research findings available in a manner that supports verification, reuse, and long-term preservation.

Data sharing strengthens scholarly integrity and enhances the impact and credibility of published research.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all research articles, review papers, conference proceedings, and scholarly publications where data underpin reported findings.

The term “data” may include:

  • Quantitative datasets
  • Qualitative research materials
  • Statistical outputs
  • Code and scripts
  • Software models
  • Survey instruments
  • Laboratory protocols
  • Multimedia or image files
  • Supplementary materials

3. Data Availability Requirement

Authors must include a Data Availability Statement within their manuscript indicating one of the following:

  • Data are publicly available in a recognised repository.
  • Data are available upon reasonable request.
  • Data are included within the article or supplementary files.
  • Data cannot be shared due to ethical, legal, or confidentiality restrictions.
  • No new data were generated.

The statement must clearly explain access conditions.

4. Recommended Repositories

Authors are encouraged to deposit data in recognised repositories appropriate to their discipline, including but not limited to:

  • Institutional repositories
  • Subject-specific repositories
  • General repositories such as:
    • Zenodo
    • Figshare
    • Dryad
    • OSF (Open Science Framework)

Repositories should provide:

  • Persistent identifiers (e.g., DOI)
  • Long-term preservation
  • Open or controlled access options

5. Sensitive or Confidential Data

Where data involve:

  • Human participants
  • Clinical records
  • Personal identifiers
  • Confidential agreements
  • National security considerations

Authors must:

  • Confirm ethical approval
  • Ensure compliance with data protection regulations (including GDPR where applicable)
  • Remove personally identifiable information
  • Provide controlled access where appropriate

If data cannot be shared, authors must clearly justify the restriction in the Data Availability Statement.

6. Clinical and Biomedical Research

For clinical trials and biomedical research:

  • Trial registration details must be provided.
  • Data sharing plans should be disclosed.
  • Compliance with international ethical standards is required.

Relevant guidance includes:

7. Code and Software Transparency

Where computational methods, simulations, or statistical models are central to findings:

  • Source code should be shared where feasible.
  • Version numbers must be documented.
  • Software dependencies should be declared.
  • Reproducibility instructions should be included.

8. Data Integrity and Accuracy

Authors are responsible for ensuring that:

  • Shared data accurately reflect reported results.
  • Data have not been fabricated, falsified, or selectively reported.
  • File formats allow for reasonable reuse.
  • Documentation is sufficient for interpretation.

Data manipulation constitutes research misconduct.

9. Peer Review of Data

Editors or reviewers may:

  • Request access to underlying datasets.
  • Ask for clarification of methodology.
  • Require additional documentation to verify results.

Failure to provide data when requested may result in rejection or investigation.

10. Post-Publication Data Concerns

If concerns arise regarding:

  • Inconsistencies between data and results
  • Missing datasets
  • Suspected fabrication

Veridion Press may initiate a Research Integrity investigation in accordance with its Ethical Publishing & Research Integrity Policy.

Possible outcomes include:

  • Correction
  • Expression of Concern
  • Retraction

11. Exceptions

Data sharing may not be required where:

  • Legal restrictions apply
  • Ethical approvals prohibit disclosure
  • Intellectual property agreements prevent release
  • Data involve culturally sensitive materials

Authors must provide clear justification for any exception.

12. Alignment with International Standards

This policy aligns with:

13. Reporting Data Integrity Concerns

Concerns relating to data availability, manipulation, or integrity may be reported confidentially to:

📩 integrity@veridionpress.org
📩 ethics@veridionpress.org

Final Statement

Veridion Press recognises that responsible data sharing strengthens the scholarly record and promotes reproducibility, transparency, and public trust in research. We are committed to evolving our data governance standards in line with international best practices.