Data Sharing Policy

The Medical Technology Journal of Applied Science (MTJAS) Data Sharing Policy

1. Purpose and Principles

The Medical Technology Journal of Applied Science (MTJAS) is dedicated to promoting open science and ensuring the reproducibility of research. We believe that the sharing of research data is a fundamental component of scientific transparency and progress. This policy outlines the journal's expectations for authors regarding the sharing and archiving of data supporting their published findings.

2. Policy Requirements for Authors

  • Mandatory Data Availability Statement: All manuscripts submitted to MTJAS must include a "Data Availability Statement" in a dedicated section before the references. This statement should clearly indicate whether the data supporting the findings is available, and if so, where it can be accessed.

  • Data Archiving: We strongly encourage authors to deposit their datasets in a public, persistent, and recognized data repository. The repository should provide a permanent identifier, such as a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), to ensure the data is citable and discoverable. Authors should include the DOI in their Data Availability Statement.

  • Data Citation: When citing data in their manuscript, authors should follow a formal citation style. A data citation should be treated similarly to a publication citation, including the authors, year, title, publisher (repository), and persistent identifier.

3. Data Availability Statement Examples

To help authors comply with this policy, here are some examples of acceptable data availability statements:

  • Data is publicly available: "The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in [name of repository] at [DOI or URL]."

  • Data is available upon request: "The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request." (Please note that MTJAS encourages public sharing as the primary option).

  • Data is not available: "The data that support the findings of this study are not publicly available due to [reason, e.g., privacy, confidentiality]."

4. Confidentiality and Exceptions

MTJAS recognizes that in some cases, it may not be possible to share research data. This includes situations where:

  • Data is subject to patient confidentiality or privacy regulations.

  • Ethical restrictions or institutional policies prohibit the sharing of the data.

  • Proprietary data is used under a licensing agreement.

In such instances, authors must provide a clear explanation in their Data Availability Statement as to why the data cannot be shared.

5. Benefits of Data Sharing

Sharing research data benefits the authors and the scientific community by:

  • Increased Visibility: Publicly available datasets are citable and can increase the visibility and impact of the original publication.

  • Enhanced Reproducibility: Allows other researchers to verify and build upon the findings, strengthening the scientific record.

  • Accelerated Discovery: Provides a rich resource for new research questions and meta-analyses.

  • Greater Transparency: Builds trust in the research process and the validity of the results.