Umm Al-Qura University journals strongly support open and transparent research practices. Authors are encouraged to make the data underlying their research findings publicly accessible whenever legally and ethically permissible. A Data Availability Statement (DAS) must accompany every manuscript submitted for publication, clearly indicating whether the data used in the study are accessible.
This policy complies with international standards and adheres to best practices established by leading bodies, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Association of Scientific, Technical, and Medical Publishers (STM).
Purpose of the Data Availability Statement
The Data Availability Statement informs readers about the following:
Whether the data supporting the study’s findings are available.
Where the data can be accessed (including the repository name and a DOI or direct link).
Any restrictions on data access and the underlying rationale.
The procedure for requesting access to the data, where applicable.
This practice promotes research transparency, enhances reproducibility, and bolsters confidence within the scientific community.
Placement of the Statement
Authors are required to complete the Data Availability Statement Form and incorporate a designated Data Availability section at the end of their manuscript—typically under "Declarations"—alongside disclosures of funding, conflicts of interest, and ethical approvals.
Acceptable Types of Data Availability Statements
Below are representative templates authors may adopt according to their specific data-sharing circumstances:
Publicly Available Data
The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available in the [Repository Name] repository, [persistent DOI or URL].
Data Available Upon Request
The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Data Restricted Due to Limitations
The data supporting the findings of this study are not publicly available due to [e.g., privacy concerns, ethical considerations, or commercial restrictions]; however, they may be made available by the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
No New Data Generated
No new data were created or analyzed in this study. Data sharing is not applicable to this article.
Data Included in the Article
All datasets generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article [and its supplementary information files, where applicable].
Preferred Repositories
Umm Al-Qura University journals encourage authors to archive their data in recognized, community-endorsed data repositories, which may include:
Institutional Repository
All datasets must be cited appropriately using persistent identifiers (e.g., DOIs or accession numbers).
Exceptions
Authors may withhold data under the following circumstances:
The dataset contains sensitive or personally identifiable information that cannot be de-identified.
Legal, regulatory, or ethical constraints prohibit data sharing.
The data are proprietary to third parties and cannot be redistributed.
In such cases, the Data Availability Statement must explicitly delineate the nature of the restrictions.
Editorial Review of Availability Statements
The editorial team will review all Data Availability Statements submitted. Any inaccurate or incomplete statement may necessitate revisions during the editorial assessment or peer-review process.