This journal supports best practices in research openness and transparency. The policies below outline our expectations for authors to help ensure that the research results we publish are as transparent as possible.

Data availability

All manuscripts submitted to this journal must contain a Data Availability Statement, explaining where and how readers can access the data underpinning the research published in the manuscript.

This journal believes in the importance of transparent and reproducible research. We encourage authors to follow best practices in reporting their methodology, for example describing details of study design, sources used and their provenance, and selection procedures used.

Where possible we encourage authors to make the evidence underpinning their findings, which may include quantitative data or qualitative materials, available to readers. We encourage the use of Data Availability Statements to describe whether such evidence is available to readers, and if so, where.

When sharing materials, whether qualitative or quantitative, we recommend using a dedicated repository appropriate to the materials. In particular, repositories that provide permanent identifiers and have robust preservation policies will help to ensure the long-term integrity of published research.

We also encourage authors to cite materials and data they have used in their research, alongside literature citations, to recognise the importance of all kinds of research outputs.

If you have any questions about this policy, please contact the editorial office.

Code and model availability

We strongly encourage authors to share any analytical code or models used for the research reported in their manuscript. We recommend using an appropriate repository to make code and models available. Information about where you have made your code or models available should be included in your Data Availability Statement.

Open Practice Badges

We recognise best practices in open research by awarding Open Practice Badges to authors who openly share the data and materials underpinning their research, or who have preregistered their research plans.

Badges are awarded by author declaration. You will be asked during the submission process to confirm whether or not you have met the criteria for each badge.