Data Availability and Research Transparency Policy

1. Purpose and Scope

The International Journal of Multidisciplinary Inquiry (IJMI) recognizes research transparency, responsible data management, and the appropriate availability of supporting evidence as important components of scholarly integrity. Clear reporting of research methods, data sources, analytical procedures, and relevant limitations enables readers to evaluate the credibility and contribution of published research.

This policy establishes the journal's expectations concerning research data availability, methodological transparency, data sharing, confidentiality, and the responsible management of materials supporting scholarly publications.

The policy applies to Original Research Articles and Review Articles submitted to IJMI, taking account of differences in disciplinary practices, research methodologies, ethical obligations, and the nature of the evidence used.

IJMI recognizes that research transparency does not necessarily require unrestricted public access to all underlying data. Data availability must be balanced with participant confidentiality, privacy, intellectual property rights, institutional requirements, and applicable legal and ethical obligations.

2. Principles of Research Transparency

Authors are expected to describe their research design, methods, data sources, and analytical procedures with sufficient clarity to enable informed scholarly evaluation.

The level of methodological detail required will depend on the research approach, disciplinary conventions, and the nature of the scholarly contribution.

For empirical research, manuscripts should explain how relevant evidence was collected, selected, processed, and analysed. Where appropriate, authors should describe research instruments, sampling procedures, analytical techniques, and measures adopted to support the credibility or reliability of the findings.

Qualitative research should provide a clear account of its methodological approach, participant or document selection, data collection procedures, and analytical process, while protecting confidential or identifying information.

Quantitative and experimental research should report relevant datasets, measurements, analytical procedures, and methodological decisions sufficiently to permit meaningful assessment of the findings.

Conceptual, theoretical, and interpretive scholarship should clearly identify the sources, analytical reasoning, and intellectual foundations supporting its arguments.

Transparency requires accurate reporting of research activities actually undertaken. Authors must not misrepresent data collection procedures, analytical methods, research participants, or the availability of supporting evidence.

3. Data Availability Statements

IJMI requires authors of empirical research manuscripts to provide a Data Availability Statement explaining whether and under what conditions the data supporting the study's findings may be accessed.

The statement should accurately reflect the nature of the research data and any ethical, legal, contractual, or institutional restrictions affecting their availability.

Where data are publicly accessible, authors should identify the relevant repository, database, publication, or other appropriate source and provide a persistent identifier or access link where available.

Where data cannot be shared publicly, the statement should explain the principal reason for the restriction, such as participant confidentiality, privacy obligations, institutional requirements, contractual limitations, or the sensitivity of the information.

Where data may be provided upon reasonable request, authors should indicate the conditions under which access may be considered, subject to applicable ethical approvals and other restrictions.

For manuscripts that do not generate or analyse research datasets, including certain conceptual, theoretical, or review-based studies, authors may provide a statement indicating that no new research data were generated, where appropriate.

A Data Availability Statement must not promise access to information that authors are not authorized or reasonably able to provide.

4. Recommended Data Availability Statements

Authors should select and adapt the statement that most accurately reflects their research circumstances.

Where data are publicly available:

"The data supporting the findings of this study are available from [repository or source name] at [persistent identifier or access link]."

Where data are available upon reasonable request:

"The data supporting the findings of this study may be made available by the corresponding author upon reasonable request, subject to applicable ethical, confidentiality, and institutional requirements."

Where data cannot be shared because of confidentiality or ethical restrictions:

"The research data are not publicly available due to participant confidentiality and applicable ethical restrictions. Relevant methodological information is provided in the manuscript to support an informed assessment of the research."

Where data are subject to institutional or third-party restrictions:

"The data used in this study are subject to access restrictions imposed by [institution, data provider, or relevant authority]. Access may be considered through the appropriate authorization procedures, where permitted."

Where no new research data were generated:

"No new research data were generated or analysed in the preparation of this manuscript."

Authors must ensure that the selected declaration is consistent with the study's actual research procedures, consent arrangements, and data management obligations.

5. Qualitative Research and Confidential Information

IJMI recognizes that qualitative research frequently involves interviews, focus groups, field observations, institutional records, and other forms of evidence that may contain confidential or personally identifiable information.

Authors are not required to publish complete interview transcripts, identifiable participant records, confidential field notes, or other sensitive research materials where disclosure would compromise ethical obligations, privacy, participant safety, or legitimate institutional restrictions.

For qualitative studies, research transparency may be demonstrated through clear explanations of participant selection, interview or observation procedures, analytical methods, coding approaches, and the presentation of appropriately anonymized supporting evidence.

Where interview quotations or other participant-derived materials are included in a manuscript, authors must ensure that their presentation is consistent with informed consent arrangements and relevant ethical requirements.

Removing names or direct identifiers does not necessarily eliminate the possibility of identifying participants. Authors should consider whether contextual information, professional roles, institutional affiliations, or combinations of details could create a risk of indirect identification.

Requests for access to restricted qualitative data should be evaluated according to the original consent conditions, ethical approvals, confidentiality commitments, and applicable legal requirements.

The journal may request methodological clarification or other appropriate supporting information where necessary to assess the credibility of a study, without requiring authors to breach their obligations to research participants.

6. Quantitative, Experimental, and Computational Research

Authors conducting quantitative, experimental, or computational research are encouraged to make relevant supporting data and materials available where legally and ethically permissible.

Depending on the nature of the research, supporting materials may include datasets, statistical code, analytical scripts, research instruments, experimental protocols, model specifications, or documentation necessary to understand the reported findings.

Where public sharing is appropriate, authors are encouraged to use established institutional or disciplinary repositories that provide stable access arrangements and suitable documentation.

Data and supporting materials should be sufficiently described to enable other researchers to understand their structure, provenance, and relationship to the published analysis.

Where restrictions prevent public access, authors should explain the relevant limitations through the Data Availability Statement.

Authors must not disclose confidential participant information, proprietary materials, restricted datasets, or other protected content without appropriate authorization.

The journal may request additional methodological or analytical clarification where substantive questions arise regarding the accuracy, interpretation, or reproducibility of reported findings.

7. Clinical, Medical, and Health-Related Research

Research involving patients, clinical records, medical information, biological materials, or other sensitive health-related data requires particular attention to confidentiality, informed consent, ethical approval, and applicable data protection requirements.

Authors must ensure that the collection, analysis, reporting, and sharing of such information comply with the requirements relevant to the research setting.

Personally identifiable health information must not be disclosed without an appropriate lawful and ethical basis.

Where research data cannot be shared publicly because of patient confidentiality, institutional restrictions, or legal requirements, authors should provide a clear explanation through the Data Availability Statement.

The journal may request relevant information concerning ethical approval, consent procedures, study registration, or other methodological safeguards where applicable.

Public data sharing is not required where it would conflict with the protection of research participants or other legitimate obligations.

8. Documentary, Archival, and Secondary Research

Research based on documentary evidence, archival materials, official records, published literature, institutional reports, or existing datasets should identify its sources clearly and provide sufficient information to support scholarly verification.

Authors should describe relevant selection criteria, documentary boundaries, analytical procedures, and limitations where these are material to the research findings.

Publicly accessible documents and datasets should be appropriately cited, including relevant publication details, repository information, or access links where available.

Where archival or institutional materials are subject to access restrictions, authors should acknowledge the restrictions and provide sufficient source descriptions without violating confidentiality or contractual requirements.

Authors using secondary datasets must comply with the relevant conditions of access, attribution, licensing, and reuse.

Review articles should explain their literature identification, selection, and synthesis procedures at a level appropriate to the type of review undertaken.

9. Data Integrity, Retention, and Verification

Authors are responsible for the accuracy, authenticity, and appropriate management of research data supporting their manuscripts.

Research data must not be fabricated, falsified, selectively manipulated, or misrepresented in ways that compromise the reliability of the reported findings.

Authors should retain relevant research records and supporting materials in accordance with applicable institutional policies, ethical approvals, funder requirements, legal obligations, and disciplinary standards.

IJMI does not impose a universal data retention period because retention obligations may vary according to the nature of the research and the requirements governing it.

Where reasonable questions arise concerning the reliability or integrity of published findings, the editorial team may request clarification, supporting documentation, or other relevant information.

Such requests will take account of confidentiality, intellectual property rights, data protection requirements, and the practical circumstances of the research.

An inability to provide unrestricted access to confidential or legitimately restricted data does not, by itself, establish research misconduct.

10. Data Repositories and Responsible Sharing

Where authors elect or are required by an applicable funder or institution to share research data, they are encouraged to use suitable repositories that support responsible access, documentation, preservation, and citation.

Repositories may be institutional, disciplinary, or general-purpose, depending on the nature of the materials and the relevant requirements.

Authors should consider whether the repository provides appropriate access controls, persistent identifiers, metadata, licensing information, and arrangements for long-term availability.

Where datasets contain sensitive or restricted information, controlled-access arrangements may be more appropriate than unrestricted public release.

Authors remain responsible for ensuring that any data-sharing arrangements are consistent with participant consent, institutional obligations, intellectual property rights, and applicable laws.

Publication in IJMI does not automatically transfer ownership of underlying research data to the journal.

11. Editorial Assessment and Policy Compliance

IJMI may consider the adequacy of methodological reporting and data availability information during initial editorial screening, peer review, and subsequent editorial assessment.

Where a Data Availability Statement is missing, incomplete, or inconsistent with the manuscript, authors may be requested to provide clarification or revise the declaration.

Reviewers may comment on whether the evidence and methodological information presented are sufficient to support the manuscript's scholarly claims.

The editorial team may seek additional explanations where the reported findings cannot reasonably be evaluated from the information provided.

Editorial decisions will consider the research design, disciplinary context, ethical obligations, and legitimate restrictions affecting the availability of supporting materials.

The journal will not require authors to violate confidentiality commitments, participant consent conditions, institutional restrictions, or applicable legal requirements as a condition of publication.

12. Policy Administration and Review

IJMI supports responsible research transparency while recognizing the diversity of scholarly methods and evidence across its multidisciplinary scope.

The journal may revise this policy as research data practices, ethical guidance, repository arrangements, and relevant legal requirements develop.

Authors are expected to comply with this policy and with the journal's broader requirements concerning research integrity, publication ethics, and responsible scholarly reporting.

This policy should be read alongside IJMI's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement, Peer Review Policy, and other applicable editorial and submission requirements.