1. Policy Statement

The Journal Computer and Technology promotes transparency, research integrity, and reproducibility. Authors are required to provide a Data Availability Statement in every submitted manuscript, explaining whether and how the data, software, code, and other materials supporting the reported findings can be accessed.

Where legally, ethically, and practically possible, authors are expected to make the supporting research data and code openly available. When public sharing is not possible, authors must clearly explain the restriction and state whether access may be requested from the author or another responsible party.

2. Data Availability Statement Requirement

Every manuscript must include a clearly labeled section entitled “Data Availability Statement.” The statement must be included in the submitted manuscript and retained in the final published article.

The statement must accurately identify, as applicable:

• the research data generated, collected, or analyzed in the study;
• the software, source code, scripts, algorithms, or computational materials used to produce or analyze the results;
• the repository or other location where the materials are stored;
• a persistent identifier, such as a DOI, or a direct and stable URL;
• the conditions under which the materials may be accessed;
• any restrictions on sharing, together with the reason for those restrictions.

A statement that merely says “data are available upon request” is insufficient unless it identifies the responsible contact and explains why the data or code are not publicly available.

3. Public Repository and Supplementary Materials

Authors are encouraged to deposit research data and code in a trusted, appropriate repository that supports long-term access and, where available, provides a persistent identifier such as a DOI.

Examples include institutional or subject repositories and general-purpose repositories such as Zenodo, Figshare, or the Open Science Framework. Authors should select a repository suitable for the type of material and its access requirements.

Where possible, authors should:

• provide a stable repository record or DOI;
• include the dataset or software version used in the study;
• describe the files and their contents;
• state the applicable license or reuse conditions;
• cite the dataset or software in the manuscript and reference list.

Data and code may also be submitted as supplementary materials through the journal’s submission system when appropriate. Authors must identify these materials in the Data Availability Statement and ensure that the files are complete, accessible, and consistent with the article.

4. Code and Computational Materials

For studies involving computational analysis, machine learning, simulations, or software development, authors must clearly state the availability of the code and relevant computational materials.

Where applicable, authors should provide:

• source code, scripts, or notebooks used for data processing and analysis;
• relevant configuration files, model settings, and parameter values;
• software and library names and versions;
• instructions necessary to understand or run the code;
• information about the computing environment when it materially affects the results.

If code cannot be made publicly available, authors must explain the reason and state whether access may be requested from the corresponding author or another responsible party.

5. Data Obtained from Third Parties

When a study uses data obtained from an external source, authors must cite the original data source and explain how the data can be accessed.

Authors must comply with the source’s terms of use, license, and access restrictions. They must not redistribute third-party data unless they have the necessary permission. If the data cannot be shared by the authors, the Data Availability Statement should identify the original source and describe any applicable access conditions.

6. Restricted, Confidential, or Sensitive Data

The journal recognizes that some research data cannot be made publicly available because of privacy, confidentiality, consent, legal, contractual, security, or intellectual property restrictions.

Examples may include identifiable personal data, confidential institutional records, sensitive research participants’ information, or data subject to third-party restrictions.

In such cases, authors must:

• explain why the data cannot be made publicly available;
• confirm that the restriction is consistent with applicable ethical and legal requirements;
• describe whether anonymized, aggregated, or otherwise non-sensitive data can be shared;
• state whether qualified researchers may request access and identify the appropriate contact or access procedure.

Authors must not disclose confidential or identifying information in order to satisfy this policy.

7. Availability Upon Reasonable Request

If data or code are not publicly deposited but may be shared, the Data Availability Statement must identify the corresponding author or other responsible party from whom access may be requested.

Requests may be subject to reasonable conditions, including ethical approval, data-use agreements, confidentiality protections, or restrictions imposed by the original data provider. Authors should respond to legitimate requests in a timely manner and explain any decision to deny access.

8. Editorial Access and Verification

During peer review or after publication, the editor may request access to the underlying data, code, research materials, or documentation when reasonably necessary to assess the reliability, accuracy, or reproducibility of the reported findings.

Authors are expected to provide the requested materials or explain why access cannot be granted. Materials provided for editorial assessment will be treated confidentially and used only for the relevant editorial purpose.

Failure to provide requested materials without a valid explanation may affect the editorial decision or lead to further action under the journal’s publication ethics policies.

9. Data Integrity and Retention

Authors are responsible for maintaining accurate records of the data and materials supporting their research. They should retain the underlying data, code, and relevant research records for a reasonable period after publication and in accordance with applicable institutional, funder, legal, and ethical requirements.

Authors must not fabricate, falsify, selectively manipulate, or misrepresent research data or their availability. Concerns about data integrity will be handled in accordance with the journal’s Publication Ethics and Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern policies.

10. Required Statement Templates

Authors should select and adapt the statement that accurately reflects their study.

Publicly available data and code

The data and code supporting the findings of this study are available in [repository name] at [DOI or stable URL]. The materials are available under [license or access conditions].

Data included in the article or supplementary files

The data supporting the findings of this study are provided in the article and/or its supplementary materials.

Data available upon reasonable request

The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Access may be subject to applicable ethical, legal, and confidentiality requirements.

Restricted data

The data supporting the findings of this study are not publicly available because [specific reason]. Access may be considered by [responsible party] subject to [applicable conditions], where permitted by the relevant ethical, legal, and contractual requirements.

Third-party data

The data analyzed in this study were obtained from [source]. The data are available from [source or access link] subject to the terms and conditions of the data provider.

No new data generated or analyzed

No new data were generated or analyzed in this study.

11. Editorial Assessment

The journal may request clarification or revision of a Data Availability Statement that is incomplete, unclear, or inconsistent with the manuscript. If authors fail to provide an accurate statement or misrepresent the availability of research materials, the journal may return the manuscript for correction, reject the submission, or take further action in accordance with its publication ethics policies.

12. Policy Review

This policy may be reviewed and updated as research data practices, preservation standards, and publication ethics guidance evolve. The current version will be made available on the journal’s website.