Data Sharing Policy
Data Sharing Policy for the International Journal of Dental Discovery and Research
At the International Journal of Dental Discovery and Research (IJDDR), we recognize the importance of responsible data sharing in promoting scientific transparency, reproducibility, research integrity, and collaboration. Our data sharing policy aims to encourage the responsible and ethical sharing of research data while protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and rights of research participants. The following guidelines outline the principles and procedures followed by IJDDR.
Data Availability
The International Journal of Dental Discovery and Research (IJDDR) encourages authors to make research data openly available whenever possible and where permitted by applicable ethical, legal, institutional, and regulatory requirements.
Making research data accessible can improve transparency, reproducibility, visibility, and the potential impact of published research and allows other researchers to validate findings and build upon previously published work.
Data Types
The data-sharing policy of IJDDR covers relevant research data associated with published articles, including, but not limited to:
· Raw research data
· Processed and analysed data
· Supplementary datasets
· Statistical data
· Research protocols
· Survey and questionnaire data
· Clinical and laboratory measurements
· Dental and oral health-related observations
· Radiographic or imaging data, where ethically permissible
· Experimental results
· Research code and analytical scripts
· Metadata and other supporting research materials
Authors should ensure that any shared data are appropriately prepared and that confidential or personally identifiable information is removed or protected before sharing.
Data Repositories
Where appropriate, authors are encouraged to deposit research data in established and reputable data repositories.
Authors should preferably use discipline-specific or recognized general-purpose repositories that provide appropriate infrastructure for data preservation, access, and citation. Where available, repositories providing persistent identifiers such as DOIs are recommended to facilitate long-term identification and citation of research datasets.
Data Access and Citation
Authors should provide clear information regarding how readers and researchers can access the data associated with their published research.
Where applicable, the manuscript should include the name of the data repository, dataset identifier, DOI, accession number, or other relevant information required to locate the data.
Authors should appropriately cite datasets and acknowledge the original source of the data to ensure proper attribution and facilitate recognition of the researchers who generated or curated the dataset.
Informed Consent and Ethical Considerations
Authors must ensure that data sharing complies with applicable ethical and legal requirements.
For research involving human participants, including clinical dental studies, patient records, photographs, radiographs, biological samples, or other potentially identifiable information, authors must ensure appropriate ethical approval and informed consent where required.
Personal and sensitive information must be appropriately anonymized or de-identified before data are shared publicly.
Authors should also consider:
· Participant privacy and confidentiality
· Institutional ethical requirements
· Intellectual property rights
· Applicable data protection laws
· Commercial or proprietary restrictions
· Research participant consent
· Institutional or contractual restrictions
Patient photographs, radiographs, clinical images, or other identifiable materials should not be made publicly available without appropriate consent and ethical authorization.
Exceptions and Restrictions
IJDDR recognizes that certain research data may not be suitable for unrestricted public access.
Restrictions may be appropriate where data involve:
· Personally identifiable information
· Confidential patient records
· Sensitive clinical information
· Ethical or legal limitations
· Proprietary or commercially sensitive information
· Third-party data subject to access restrictions
· Institutional or contractual limitations
Where data cannot be openly shared, authors should provide a clear explanation in the manuscript through the Data Availability Statement.
Where feasible, authors may provide a mechanism through which qualified researchers can request access to restricted data, subject to appropriate ethical, legal, and institutional requirements.
Data Sharing Statement
Authors submitting manuscripts to IJDDR should include an appropriate Data Availability Statement where applicable.
The statement should clearly indicate whether the research data:
· Are openly available in a public repository;
· Are available upon reasonable request;
· Are subject to specific access restrictions; or
· Are not publicly available because of ethical, legal, privacy, or other legitimate restrictions.
Examples include:
Data openly available:
“The data supporting the findings of this study are available in [repository name] at [DOI/accession number].”
Data available upon request:
“The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, subject to applicable ethical and confidentiality requirements.”
Data not publicly available:
“The data are not publicly available because they contain confidential patient information and are subject to ethical and privacy restrictions.”
Data Integrity and Accuracy
Authors are responsible for ensuring that the data associated with their manuscripts are accurate, reliable, and presented appropriately.
Data must not be fabricated, falsified, manipulated, or selectively presented in a manner that could mislead readers.
Where data are deposited in a repository, authors should ensure that the dataset corresponds appropriately to the published research and that relevant documentation is provided to facilitate interpretation and responsible reuse.
Data Preservation Policy
IJDDR recognizes the importance of preserving research data and supporting materials for long-term accessibility and scholarly reference.
Where research data are deposited in recognized repositories, authors are encouraged to use repositories that provide long-term preservation and persistent identifiers such as DOIs.
Published articles and associated supplementary materials may be preserved through the journal's digital publishing and archival systems to support continued access to the scholarly record.
Where applicable, datasets associated with published articles should remain traceable through persistent identifiers and appropriate repository records.
Compliance and Verification
IJDDR encourages all authors to comply with this Data Sharing Policy and may request additional information regarding data availability, repository records, ethical approval, or access restrictions when necessary.
The journal reserves the right to seek clarification or supporting information if concerns arise regarding the integrity, availability, provenance, or ethical sharing of research data.
Failure to provide appropriate information regarding data availability may be considered during the editorial and publication process.
Commitment to Responsible Data Sharing
The International Journal of Dental Discovery and Research (IJDDR) believes that responsible data sharing contributes to research transparency, reproducibility, collaboration, and the advancement of dental and oral health sciences.
By following this policy, authors contribute to a more transparent and reliable scientific record while ensuring that the privacy, confidentiality, ethical rights, and interests of research participants are appropriately protected.
For detailed submission requirements and specific instructions regarding data availability, authors should refer to the Instructions for Authors section of the International Journal of Dental Discovery and Research website:
