This journal believes in the importance of transparent and reproducible research. We encourage authors to follow best practices in reporting their methodology, for example describing details of study design, sources used and their provenance, and selection procedures used.
Where possible we encourage authors to make the evidence underpinning their findings, which may include quantitative data or qualitative materials, available to readers. We encourage the use of Data Availability Statements to describe whether such evidence is available to readers, and if so, where.
When sharing materials, whether qualitative or quantitative, we recommend using a dedicated repository appropriate to the materials. In particular, repositories that provide permanent identifiers and have robust preservation policies will help to ensure the long-term integrity of published research.
We also encourage authors to cite materials and data they have used in their research, alongside literature citations, to recognise the importance of all kinds of research outputs.
If you have any questions about this policy, please contact the editorial office.
Data sharing and replicability
Authors must provide sufficient information on data collection for the editors and reviewers to evaluate it. Depending on the source of data, this may include details regarding the consultants (number, dialect, region, age, etc.), the experimental design, the search procedures, or the other data collection methods used.
- Where the data is not or cannot be made publicly available, (and there are often good reasons why it is not), authors should explain why it is not made available, typically in a footnote in the paper.
- If the data is archived, authors should provide the archival information.
- If secondary sources are used, sourcing information must be provided for every example, including page numbers if the source has them. Use of tertiary sources, such as textbooks, encyclopedias, and second-hand reports, is discouraged.
Generally speaking, articles reporting results of empirical studies such as quantitative analyses or experimental results should allow replication by other researchers based upon the article's contents, references, and any supplementary materials that can be made available, such as data files where feasible, software code, statistical analysis, and additional materials (e.g., R markdown files, python scripts, etc.).
Authors have the option of providing these supplementary materials (suitably anonymised) at the point of submission, and are encouraged to do so in cases where they may be useful to reviewers in making a fully informed appraisal of the paper.