Data Availability Policy | PoliEcoM Administration Review

PoliEcoM Administration Review supports transparency, research integrity, responsible data management, and the reproducibility of scholarly research. Authors are encouraged to make the data, materials, code, and documentation underlying their findings available whenever legally, ethically, and practically possible.

The journal recognizes that not all research data can be openly shared. Restrictions may apply when data involve human participants, confidential information, sensitive administrative records, proprietary datasets, security concerns, contractual limits, or legal and ethical obligations. Authors must clearly explain any restrictions on data access in a Data Availability Statement.

1. Purpose of the Policy

This policy is intended to promote transparent reporting, responsible data sharing, and appropriate documentation of research evidence. Data availability helps readers, reviewers, researchers, and policymakers understand, verify, replicate, or extend published research where appropriate.

To support research transparency and scholarly accountability.
To encourage responsible sharing of research data, code, and materials.
To clarify when data cannot be shared because of ethical, legal, contractual, or practical restrictions.
To help readers understand how the evidence supporting an article may be accessed or verified.

2. Data Availability Statement

All research manuscripts should include a Data Availability Statement before the references or in the designated declaration section. The statement should describe whether the data, code, materials, or supporting documentation are available, where they can be accessed, and whether any restrictions apply.

A Data Availability Statement should normally indicate:

Whether the data supporting the findings are publicly available.
Where the data, code, or materials can be accessed, including repository name or persistent identifier where available.
Whether access is restricted and the reason for restriction.
Whether data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Whether no new data were created or analyzed in the study.

3. Examples of Data Availability Statements

Publicly Available Data	The data supporting the findings of this study are publicly available in [Repository Name] at [DOI, URL, or accession number].
Data Available on Request	The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Restricted Data	The data are not publicly available because they contain confidential, sensitive, or restricted information.
No New Data	No new data were created or analyzed in this study.

4. Public Data Sharing

Authors are encouraged to deposit datasets, replication files, analytical code, survey instruments, interview protocols, appendices, and other supporting materials in a recognized public repository when appropriate. Repositories should provide stable access, persistent identifiers, clear licensing terms, and sufficient documentation for reuse.

Datasets should be clearly labeled and documented.
Code files should include sufficient comments or instructions for interpretation.
Variables, measures, sampling procedures, and data sources should be explained.
Files should be stored in formats that support long-term access where possible.
Repository links, access dates, and persistent identifiers should be included where available.

5. Restricted, Confidential, or Sensitive Data

The journal does not require authors to share data when doing so would violate ethical approval conditions, privacy obligations, confidentiality agreements, legal restrictions, intellectual property rights, institutional rules, national security considerations, or contractual terms.

Restricted data may include:

Human participant data that cannot be fully anonymized.
Interview transcripts, survey responses, or administrative records containing confidential information.
Government, organizational, commercial, or proprietary data subject to access restrictions.
Sensitive data involving vulnerable populations, political risks, personal privacy, or public security.
Data governed by contractual, institutional, or legal restrictions.

6. Human Participants and Privacy Protection

Research involving human participants must comply with applicable ethical standards, informed consent requirements, confidentiality obligations, and data protection rules. Authors should not share identifiable or re-identifiable data unless appropriate consent, ethical approval, anonymization, and legal permission have been obtained.

Personal identifiers should be removed or protected where appropriate.
Anonymization or de-identification procedures should be described when relevant.
Consent conditions should be respected when determining whether data may be shared.
Sensitive qualitative data should be handled with particular care.

7. Third-Party Data

Authors using third-party data should comply with the terms of use, licensing rules, permissions, and access conditions established by the data provider. If the authors are not legally permitted to redistribute the data, the Data Availability Statement should explain how qualified readers may access the data from the original source where possible.

The original data source should be cited accurately.
Access procedures should be described where publicly available.
License or contractual restrictions should be disclosed where relevant.
Authors should not upload or redistribute data when they lack permission to do so.

8. Analytical Code and Replication Materials

For empirical manuscripts, authors are encouraged to provide analytical code, model specifications, data processing scripts, codebooks, appendices, and replication instructions when appropriate. These materials should be sufficient to help readers understand how the analysis was conducted.

Quantitative Research	Authors are encouraged to provide datasets, codebooks, statistical code, model specifications, and replication instructions.
Qualitative Research	Authors should provide appropriate documentation, protocols, coding frameworks, or source descriptions where ethical and practical conditions allow.
Mixed-Methods Research	Authors should explain the availability of both quantitative and qualitative materials, including any restrictions.

9. Data Citation

Datasets, code, and supporting materials should be cited when they are used, reused, or deposited in a repository. Data citations should provide enough information for readers to identify and access the source, including author or creator, year, title, repository, version, and persistent identifier where available.

Example data citation format: Author Surname, First Name. Year. Title of Dataset. Repository Name. Version number where applicable. DOI or persistent URL.

10. Data Requests and Author Responsibilities

When authors state that data are available upon reasonable request, they should be prepared to respond to legitimate scholarly requests within a reasonable period, subject to ethical, legal, confidentiality, and practical limitations. Authors should retain research data and supporting materials for a reasonable period after publication where possible.

Authors should provide accurate contact information for data requests.
Authors should explain any limitations on access clearly and respectfully.
Authors should not share data in ways that violate consent, confidentiality, law, or contractual terms.
Authors should preserve documentation needed to understand the research evidence.

11. Editorial and Peer Review Considerations

Editors or reviewers may request additional information about data sources, analytical procedures, code, documentation, ethical approval, or restrictions during review. Requests will be assessed in light of confidentiality, legal obligations, data protection, and the nature of the research.

Failure to provide a clear Data Availability Statement, or failure to explain major data access restrictions, may delay editorial processing or require revision before peer review or publication.

12. Ethical or Integrity Concerns

If serious concerns arise regarding data reliability, data availability, fabricated data, falsified data, unverifiable evidence, or misrepresentation of data access, the Editorial Office may request clarification, supporting documentation, original data, ethics approvals, or institutional verification. Serious unresolved concerns may affect editorial decisions or lead to post-publication action.

Possible editorial actions include:

Requesting clarification or additional documentation.
Requiring revision of the Data Availability Statement.
Delaying review or publication until data concerns are addressed.
Rejecting the manuscript when data concerns undermine the integrity of the work.
Issuing a correction, expression of concern, or retraction after publication where necessary.

13. Exceptions to Data Sharing

The journal accepts that data sharing may not be possible or appropriate in certain cases. Authors should not compromise participant safety, privacy, confidentiality, legal obligations, institutional restrictions, or public interest in order to share data. When data cannot be shared, authors should provide a clear explanation in the Data Availability Statement.

Participant confidentiality or privacy cannot be adequately protected.
Consent forms or ethics approvals do not permit public data sharing.
Data are subject to legal, institutional, governmental, commercial, or contractual restrictions.
Data are proprietary or owned by a third party that does not permit redistribution.
Sharing could create risks for participants, communities, organizations, or public security.

14. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are based on scholarly merit, originality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, transparency, and relevance to the journal’s aims and scope. Data availability is considered in relation to the nature of the research, ethical obligations, and reasonable standards of transparency. Payment of publication charges does not influence editorial judgment.

15. Contact

Editorial Office: PoliEcoM Administration Review Editorial Office

Email: [email protected]

Official Website: https://journals.panorama-sg.com/index.php/pemr