Research Data Policy

Policy & Governance Review, we recognize that research data sharing is essential for advancing knowledge, increasing the reproducibility of results, and enhancing transparency in academic publishing. We are committed to supporting our authors in making their underlying research data available, discoverable, and reusable, whenever possible and appropriate.
This policy outlines our principles and practices for data sharing, data availability, and data citation, helping authors meet best practices and comply with emerging standards in the global research community.

What Is Research Data?
We define research data broadly, recognizing that its form and scope vary across disciplines. Research data refers to the results of observations, experiments, or studies that underpin the findings presented in a manuscript but are not fully embedded in the article itself. This includes, but is not limited to:

  1. Raw or processed datasets

  2. Software, scripts, or algorithms

  3. Protocols and methods

  4. Materials descriptions and metadata

  5. Supplementary multimedia files

Guiding Principles
Our research data policy is grounded in the following principles:

  1. Open Access: Wherever possible, research data should be freely available for reuse, with minimal restrictions.

  2. Author Control: Researchers should retain control over when, how, and under what conditions their data is accessed.

  3. Disciplinary Sensitivity: We recognize that data-sharing expectations and norms differ across fields, and we respect discipline-specific standards.

  4. Collaboration and Efficiency: Publishers, researchers, institutions, and funders must work together to reduce duplication and enhance the collective value of shared data.

  5. Recognition and Credit: Proper acknowledgment and credit should be given to those who invest in producing, curating, and sharing high-quality research data.

Our Policy Commitments
Policy & Governance Review commits to:

  1. Encouraging Data Sharing: We encourage authors to make research data available as early as possible, preferably at submission, and to deposit data in reliable repositories.

  2. Data Availability Statements: We support the use of data availability statements in manuscripts to clearly communicate where and under what conditions the underlying data can be accessed.

  3. Standardized Author Guidelines: We provide clear, standardized instructions on how authors can store, share, and cite their research data effectively.

  4. Enhancing Discoverability: We work to improve the discoverability of research data by supporting the use of persistent identifiers (e.g., DOIs) and enabling links between datasets and publications.

  5. Promoting Data Citation: We encourage authors to cite datasets properly, recognizing the scholarly contribution of data producers.

  6. Facilitating Data Review: We collaborate with reviewers and editors to ensure that datasets supporting published findings are valid, well-documented, and reusable.

  7. Publishing Data as Outputs: We welcome the submission of data-focused outputs (e.g., data papers) as peer-reviewed contributions to enhance data reusability.

  8. Supporting Research Workflows: We provide workflows, tools, and technical infrastructure to help researchers and institutions manage and share data efficiently.

Data Sharing Platforms and Tools
While authors are free to choose appropriate repositories, Policy & Governance Review recommends using trusted platforms and complying with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data principles. Authors may use:

  1. Institutional or disciplinary repositories

  2. General-purpose repositories (e.g., Zenodo, Figshare, OSF)

  3. Repositories integrated with publication workflows, where available

Participation in Community Standards
Policy & Governance Review actively supports and participates in collaborative initiatives that improve data-sharing practices, such as:

  1. Aligning with community guidelines and standards

  2. Engaging in cross-publisher and institutional collaborations to enhance data discovery and integration

  3. Supporting global data initiatives that promote responsible data reuse and long-term preservation

Author Responsibilities
Authors submitting to Policy & Governance Review must:

  1. Provide clear data availability statements in their manuscripts.

  2. Ensure that shared data is properly documented, curated, and deposited in a stable repository.

  3. Use persistent identifiers (e.g., DOIs) to enable proper linking and citation.

  4. Follow ethical and legal standards regarding data sharing, including protections for sensitive or confidential data.