Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy

Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy

Axis Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (AJHRS)

1.0 Philosophy and Commitment

The Axis Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (AJHRS) is a strong proponent of open science and recognizes that responsible data sharing is fundamental to accelerating scientific progress, enhancing research transparency, and ensuring the reproducibility of findings. This policy establishes our journal's expectations and framework for data sharing, underscoring our commitment to fostering a collaborative and robust research ecosystem within the health and rehabilitation sciences community.

2.0 Aims and Benefits

The primary aims of this policy are to:

  • Increase Transparency: Allow for the verification and validation of research results.

  • Promote Reproducibility: Enable other researchers to replicate studies and build upon published findings.

  • Maximize Resource Utility: Prevent duplication of effort and maximize the value derived from collected data.

  • Facilitate Collaboration: Encourage secondary data analysis and novel research inquiries that can lead to new discoveries.

  • Enhance Public Trust: Uphold the integrity of the scientific record by promoting open and accessible research practices.

3.0 Scope of Applicability

This policy is mandatory for all original research articles submitted to AJHRS. We strongly encourage authors of other article types, such as systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and data papers, to also adhere to these principles where applicable.

4.0 The Data Availability Statement

All manuscripts must include a dedicated Data Availability Statement within the article text, preceding the reference list. This statement must clearly articulate one of the following conditions and provide all necessary details:

  • Data publicly available: The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available in the [NAME OF REPOSITORY] repository, [PERSISTENT IDENTIFIER such as DOI or URL].

  • Data available on request: The datasets are not publicly available due to [REASON(S), e.g., privacy or ethical restrictions] but are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

  • Data embedded in article: All relevant data are included within the article and its supplementary materials.

  • Data from third party: The data that support the findings of this study were obtained from [THIRD-PARTY NAME] and are available [from the author/at URL] with the permission of [THIRD-PARTY NAME].

  • Data not available: Data cannot be shared for ethical, legal, or commercial reasons. A detailed justification for this exception must be provided.

5.0 Recommended Data Repositories

Authors are strongly encouraged to deposit data in a recognized, discipline-specific, or general-purpose public repository that assigns a persistent unique identifier (e.g., DOI, Accession Number). Repositories should guarantee long-term preservation and access. Examples include:

  • General: Figshare, Zenodo, Dryad, Mendeley Data

  • Health & Life Sciences: NIH Figshare, ICPSR, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), ClinicalTrials.gov

  • Social & Behavioral Research: ICPSR, UK Data Service, Open Science Framework (OSF)

6.0 Ethical, Legal, and Privacy Considerations

The obligation to protect research participant confidentiality is paramount. Authors must ensure that data sharing practices:

  • Comply with all applicable ethical approvals and institutional regulations.

  • Adhere to the terms of participant informed consent, which should explicitly cover the sharing of de-identified data.

  • Involve the complete de-identification of datasets to prevent any possibility of re-identification of individuals. AJHRS may request documentation of ethical approval and consent procedures.

7.0 Data Citation

To ensure data producers receive appropriate credit, all publicly available datasets that contributed to the research must be formally cited in the reference list of the manuscript, just like a journal article. The citation should include the persistent identifier (e.g., DOI).

8.0 Compliance and Verification

Adherence to this policy is a mandatory condition for the publication of any manuscript. The editorial team will verify the Data Availability Statement during the peer-review process. Failure to comply, or providing insufficient justification for not sharing data, constitutes grounds for rejection or revocation of a manuscript acceptance. AJHRS reserves the right to request the underlying data at any point during the review or post-publication process.

9.0 Support and Guidance

AJHRS acknowledges that data sharing can present challenges. Our editorial office is committed to providing support and guidance to authors navigating these requirements. We encourage authors with questions regarding suitable repositories, data anonymization, or constructing their Data Availability Statement to contact us for assistance at an early stage.

10.0 Policy Foundations

This policy is informed by and aligns with the best practices and guidelines established by leading international organizations, including:

  • The FAIR Data Principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable)

  • The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)

  • The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)

  • The TOP Guidelines (Transparency and Openness Promotion)