Research Data Policy

Journal of Social Cognition and Communication supports responsible research data management and encourages transparency in the reporting and sharing of research data where appropriate. The journal recognizes that access to underlying data can strengthen the reliability, reproducibility, and scholarly value of published research.

Authors are encouraged to make research data, analytical materials, and supporting documentation available where possible, provided that doing so does not violate ethical obligations, privacy protections, copyright restrictions, or legal requirements.

1. Data Availability

Authors are encouraged to provide access to the data underlying their research findings whenever possible. Data may include datasets, coding frameworks, survey instruments, interview protocols, analytical scripts, or other materials necessary to understand or replicate the study.

Where appropriate, authors may deposit data in institutional repositories, disciplinary data archives, or other recognized research data platforms.

2. Data Availability Statement

Authors may include a Data Availability Statement within their manuscript indicating whether the data supporting the findings are publicly available, available upon reasonable request, or restricted due to ethical or legal considerations.

Where data cannot be publicly shared, authors should provide an explanation for the restriction where possible.

3. Ethical and Legal Considerations

Research involving human participants, sensitive personal information, or confidential institutional data may be subject to ethical, legal, or privacy restrictions. In such cases, authors must ensure that data sharing complies with applicable ethical guidelines, institutional review procedures, and relevant laws or regulations.

Authors should ensure that personal identifiers are removed or appropriately anonymized before sharing research data where required.

4. Data Citation

When research datasets are publicly available, authors are encouraged to cite the dataset in the reference list using appropriate citation standards. Data citations should include sufficient information to allow readers to locate the dataset, such as repository name, dataset title, version, and persistent identifier where available.

5. Responsibility for Data Accuracy

Authors are responsible for ensuring that the data reported in their manuscripts are accurate, reliable, and appropriately documented. Where requested by the editors during peer review or post-publication investigation, authors may be asked to provide supporting data or documentation related to their study.

The journal may take appropriate editorial action if concerns arise regarding the integrity, accuracy, or availability of research data associated with a published article.