Transparency must be designed around the rights and safety of participants and third parties. JPOII does not require unrestricted public release of confidential or identifying evidence.

Identify and minimize sensitive material

Review interview transcripts, administrative files, complaints, disciplinary records and documentary attachments for direct and indirect identifiers. Names may be removed while job titles, locations, dates, distinctive incidents or combinations of details still identify a person. Consider the risks created by linking published information to other records.

Submit only the information necessary for assessment. Redact unrelated personal details and explain relevant omissions. Do not include passwords, access credentials or unnecessary personnel and financial records in manuscript files or supplements.

Authorization and safe reporting

Authors must identify an appropriate basis for using and publishing restricted evidence and comply with applicable consent, confidentiality and access terms. Permission to consult a record does not necessarily include permission to reproduce it. Explain provenance and restrictions without revealing the protected information itself.

Use aggregation, careful paraphrase, limited quotations or de-identification where appropriate. Record changes that affect interpretation and avoid suggesting that an edited extract is a complete original record. Human review of redaction is essential; automated removal of names alone is insufficient.

The UK Data Service guidance on anonymising qualitative data offers practical advice on contextual identification risks.

Editorial access and external services

If confidential material is essential to assessment, contact the Editorial Office before transmitting it to agree an appropriate route and scope. Do not assume that ordinary submission files provide a legally privileged channel or an absolute guarantee of secrecy.

Editors and reviewers must protect material received for assessment. Confidential manuscripts, transcripts and records must not be uploaded to public AI tools or other external services without an authorized arrangement addressing the information involved.

Availability and disclosure concerns

The data availability statement should explain restrictions and identify a real controlled-access route where one exists. If an accidental disclosure is discovered, notify the Editorial Office promptly and identify the affected file or passage. Corrective action should limit further exposure while preserving an accurate scholarly record.

Updated 5 October 2026 · Questions: JPOII Editorial Office