Arkus promotes transparent research, responsible data stewardship, and reproducibility while protecting participants, confidentiality, intellectual property, and legitimate security interests.

Data availability statement

Every research article must include a data availability statement explaining where the data, code, protocols, or materials can be found, how access may be requested, or why sharing is restricted. Restrictions must be specific, lawful, and ethically justified.

Repositories and identifiers

When sharing is possible, authors should deposit materials in a recognized disciplinary, institutional, or general repository and provide a persistent identifier or stable URL. Sensitive data should be de-identified and shared only when consent, ethics approval, and law permit.

Methods and reproducibility

Methods must be described in enough detail for informed assessment and, where feasible, replication. Authors should report software and versions, statistical methods, protocols, eligibility criteria, analytic decisions, and deviations from preregistration or protocol. Systematic reviews should provide a protocol or registration where applicable.

Editorial access and retention

Editors may request underlying data, code, ethics records, consent documentation, or analysis files during review or after publication. Authors must retain essential research records for the period required by their institution, funder, discipline, or law. Failure to provide records needed to resolve a serious concern may lead to rejection, correction, expression of concern, or retraction.