1. Purpose and Rationale
Authors are required to provide a Data Availability Statement (DAS) that clearly explains the accessibility, location, and conditions of use of the data underpinning the findings reported in their manuscript.
This serves as a formal declaration describing how readers, reviewers, editors, and other researchers may access the data that support the analyses, interpretations, and conclusions presented in the publication. The journal encourages authors to make research data as openly available as possible and as restricted as necessary, while respecting ethical, legal, contractual, privacy, intellectual property, and confidentiality obligations.
2. Scope
These guidelines apply to all original research manuscripts submitted for publication to the JECD. Authors should provide information regarding the availability of:
- Primary datasets generated during the study;
- Secondary datasets analyzed or reused in the research;
- Supporting data underlying tables, figures, and supplementary materials;
- Computational datasets, software code, scripts, algorithms, and workflows, where relevant;
- Metadata necessary for the interpretation and reuse of the research data.
The Data Availability Statement should be included in a dedicated section of the manuscript immediately before the References or Acknowledgments section, specified by the journal.
3. Principles of Data Availability
Authors should adhere to the following principles when preparing a Data Availability Statement:
3.1 Accessibility
Research data should be deposited in a trusted repository whenever feasible and made accessible through stable and persistent links.
3.2 Transparency
The statement should accurately describe the extent to which data are available, including any limitations on access.
3.3 Reproducibility
Sufficient information should be provided to enable other researchers to understand, validate, and potentially reproduce the reported findings.
3.4 Ethical Compliance
Data sharing must comply with applicable ethical standards, privacy regulations, informed consent requirements, and institutional policies.
3.5 Sustainability
Data should be preserved in repositories that provide long-term access and persistent identifiers to ensure continued discoverability and citation.
4. Minimum Requirements
A Data Availability Statement should, where applicable, include:
- The location of the dataset;
- The name of the repository or archive where the data are stored;
- Persistent identifiers such as Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), accession numbers, handles, or archival record numbers;
- Conditions governing access to the data;
- Any restrictions that limit public access;
- Contact information or procedures for requesting access where data are not openly available.
Authors should ensure that all information provided is accurate and functional at the time of publication.
5. Data Sharing Categories
5.1 Openly Available Data
Where data are publicly available, authors should provide the repository name and persistent identifier.
Example:
The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are publicly available in the [Repository Name] repository at https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxx.
5.2 Data Available Upon Reasonable Request
When datasets cannot be made publicly accessible but may be shared under specific conditions, authors should describe the access procedure.
Example:
The datasets supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, subject to institutional approval and applicable ethical requirements.
5.3 Restricted Access Data
In cases involving confidentiality agreements, proprietary information, national security considerations, or legal restrictions, authors must explain the reasons for limited accessibility.
Example:
The data underlying this study are not publicly available due to contractual obligations with the data provider. Access may be granted to qualified researchers upon approval by the data owner and compliance with applicable confidentiality requirements.
5.4 Human Participant Data
Where research involves human participants, privacy and confidentiality must be protected.
Example:
The datasets generated during the study contain personally identifiable information and cannot be publicly shared in accordance with participant consent agreements and applicable data protection regulations. De-identified data may be made available upon reasonable request and subject to ethics committee approval.
5.5 No New Data Generated
For studies that do not generate or analyze research datasets, authors should clearly indicate this.
Example:
No new datasets were generated or analyzed during the preparation of this study.
6. Data Citation Requirements
Research data constitute a scholarly output and should be cited in the same manner as other research resources.
Authors must cite all publicly accessible datasets that directly support the findings of the manuscript, including:
- Newly generated datasets deposited in repositories;
- Existing datasets reused or reanalyzed during the study;
- External databases and archival collections relied upon for analysis.
Data citations should be included in the reference list and contain, where available:
- Creator(s);
- Dataset title;
- Repository or publisher;
- Publication year;
- Version information (if applicable);
- Persistent identifier (DOI, Handle, ARK, accession number, etc.).
Example Dataset Citation
Author A, Author B. Dataset Title. Repository Name; 2025. DOI: xx.xxxx/xxxxx.
7. Repository Selection
Authors are encouraged to deposit data in recognized disciplinary, institutional, national, or general-purpose repositories that:
- Provide long-term preservation;
- Assign persistent identifiers;
- Support metadata standards;
- Facilitate citation and discovery;
- Ensure appropriate access controls where required.
When selecting a repository, authors should prioritize repositories that adhere to internationally recognized standards for data stewardship and preservation.
8. Exceptions and Limitations
The journal recognizes that unrestricted data sharing may not always be possible. Acceptable reasons for restricting access include:
- Protection of participant privacy and confidentiality;
- Ethical or legal obligations;
- National security considerations;
- Intellectual property restrictions;
- Commercial sensitivity;
- Indigenous data sovereignty requirements;
- Third-party ownership of data.
In such circumstances, authors must provide a clear explanation and, where possible, indicate whether a restricted-access mechanism exists.
9. Responsibilities of Authors
Authors bear primary responsibility for:
- Ensuring the accuracy of the Data Availability Statement;
- Maintaining accessibility of deposited datasets;
- Providing sufficient documentation and metadata;
- Complying with applicable laws, regulations, ethical standards, and institutional requirements;
- Obtaining all necessary permissions for data sharing.
The corresponding author is responsible for confirming the accuracy of all information provided on behalf of the co-authors.
10. Editorial Review and Compliance
Editors may request clarification, verification, or revision of Data Availability Statements during the peer-review or production process. Failure to provide an accurate and transparent statement may delay publication or result in rejection of the manuscript.
The journal reserves the right to verify the accessibility of referenced datasets and to require amendments where statements are incomplete, misleading, or inconsistent with the manuscript.
11. Recommended Standard Statements
Open Data
The data supporting the findings of this study are openly available in [Repository Name] at [DOI/Identifier].
Data Available on Request
The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Restricted Data
The data are not publicly available due to ethical, legal, and confidentiality restrictions but may be made available under specific conditions upon approval by the relevant authority.
No Data Generated
No new data were generated or analyzed in support of this research.
Third-Party Data
The study utilized data obtained from a third-party source. Restrictions apply to the availability of these data and therefore they are not publicly available. Information regarding access may be obtained directly from the data owner.
