Research data and reproducibility

Authors describe methods, assumptions and data processing in sufficient detail to evaluate and reproduce the findings. Data, code, protocols and other material essential to verifying conclusions should be deposited in a suitable repository with a persistent identifier and version information. Registering a data identifier, including through DataCite (https://datacite.org), does not replace making the dataset itself available.

Every article includes a data availability statement identifying where data and code are stored and the access terms, or explaining why open release is not possible. If no new data were generated or analysed, authors explicitly say so. Access on request is described only where it can actually be provided, with reasonable restrictions stated.

Openness does not require disclosure of personal data, protected secrets, contractually restricted information or material without the necessary permissions. Authors explain such restrictions and, where possible, provide anonymised, aggregated or otherwise safe material sufficient for scholarly scrutiny. Anonymisation is assessed in light of the risk of re-identifying participants.

Editors and reviewers may request supporting material during assessment or investigation of published work, subject to confidentiality and participants’ rights. A refusal or inability to provide it is assessed in context and may affect publication decisions or lead to correction of the scholarly record. Licences for data, code and supplementary material are stated separately; the article or metadata licence does not apply to them automatically.