Data availability statements

Scientific journals are becoming more interested in the data behind the articles they publish. Different scientific fields have unique challenges with sharing their data openly. Because of this, journals often have basic requirements for open data but are increasingly asking or requiring authors to include a data availability statement (DAS) in their articles. This statement helps readers understand what data is available and how, where and under what conditions the data can be accessed and reused. In general, studies show that articles that openly deposit data receive more citations [1].

What is crucial when composing a data availability statement

• Mention all of the data types underlying the publication
• If the data can be shared, specify how readers can access it (e.g., repository link, contact person). Use persistent identifiers, such as DOIs, when available.
• Specify the access and use conditions.
• If data cannot be shared, justify this in the data availability statement (DAS). For example:
  1. The GDPR legislation requires us to protect the identity of participants, and the raw data cannot be publicly shared.
  2. Due to data security reasons the data cannot be publicly shared.

See examples of DAS: nr-data-availability-statements-data-citations.pdf (nature.com)

What if you do not have any data related to the article?

If the publication did not utilize any data or all associated data is presented within the article itself, mention this in the data availability statement (DAS). For example:

1. No new data was generated or analysed during this study.
2. All data underlying the results are available as part of the article and no additional source data are required.

What if the data includes personal data?

When the data includes personal data that cannot be fully anonymised, please refer to your study’s privacy notice and adhere to what was promised to participants regarding data sharing. Also take into account any restrictions identified in the ethical review, agreements, or data protection impact assessment (DPIA). It may be that not all data can be shared openly due to these restrictions. In such cases, the data availability statement should describe the data collected and explain the reasons why data sharing is restricted. For example, the data contain participants’ personal data (e.g. video footage/medical imaging/ethnographic notes) and are in a format that cannot be effectively anonymised. Therefore, legal constraints prevent the data from being made fully open.

Where to place the data availability statement in the article?

The data availability statement should be placed in the article's designated "data availability" section. If the journal does not have such a section, the statement can be included in the acknowledgements section.

General instructions and help

We suggest that you study our research data management pages and see if you can find ways to improve findability, accessibility and reusability of your research data. If you handle personal data in your research, please familiarize yourself with the How to handle personal data in research page. 

If you have any questions regarding data availability statements or research data management, please contact researchdata@aalto.fi

References

[1] Colavizza G, Hrynaszkiewicz I, Staden I, Whitaker K, McGillivray B (2020) The citation advantage of linking publications to research data. PLOS ONE 15(4): e0230416. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230416