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Data Availability Statements are brief statements about whether the authors of an article have made the evidence supporting their findings available, and if so, where readers may access it. They’re not just for quantitative data – they can also be used to describe evidence such as qualitative materials and “data” in the broadest sense. 

Data Availability Statements help to promote transparency and reproducibility in research, and to increase the visibility of valuable evidence produced or gathered during the course of research.

As part of our commitment to supporting open research, some of our journals now require all manuscripts to include a Data Availability Statement in order to be accepted for publication.

Does this mean I have to make all my data or evidence publicly available?

No. We encourage all authors to make evidence available when possible, but a Data Availability Statement simply needs to state whether you have made evidence available, and if so, where and how it can be accessed.

If your chosen journal has additional requirements related to sharing data or other evidence, these will be specified in the journal’s instructions for authors.

What counts as “data”?

“Data” is interpreted in the broadest sense to mean any evidence or resources that would be necessary for others to fully evaluate the basis for your findings, and to verify or reproduce your work. This includes raw or processed data sets, code, and protocols, as well as qualitative resources such as images, audio, video, maps, interview transcripts, field notes, and public reports. It also includes any information necessary for others to access, interpret and process these resources.

Where should I put a Data Availability Statement in my manuscript?

Data Availability Statements should generally be placed in the back matter of your manuscript, just before your References, unless your chosen journal specifies otherwise.

However, if your journal uses a double-blind peer review process, it's important to ensure that the information in your Data Availability Statement doesn't compromise the anonymity of you or your co-authors. If there is information in your Data Availability Statement that could be used to identify the manuscript authors, please submit your Data Availability Statement the same way as you would any other identifying information associated with your manuscript, as instructed by your journal. This might be for example as part of a Title Page, submitted as a separate document from your manuscript.

What should I write in a Data Availability Statement?

The table below gives some illustrative examples.

If you have further questions, please contact researchdata@cambridge.org.

Example Data Availability Statements
Status of data and materialsExample statement

Data openly available in a public repository, with a permanent identifier (such as a DOI)

The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in [repository name] at http://doi.org/[doi], reference number [reference number].

Data embargoed due to commercial restrictions

The data that support the findings of this study will be available in [repository name] at [URL / DOI link] following a [6 month] embargo from the date of publication, to allow for commercialisation of research findings.

Data available on request due to privacy/ethical restrictions

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, [initials]. The data are not publicly available due to [restrictions e.g. their containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants].

Data generated at a central, large-scale facility, available upon request

Raw data were generated at [facility name]. Derived data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author [initials] on request.

Data subject to third party restrictions

The data that support the findings of this study are available from [third party]. Restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under licence for this study. Data are available [from the authors / at URL] with the permission of [third party].

Data available within the article or its supplementary materials

The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article [and/or its supplementary materials].

Data sharing not applicable – no new data generated

Data availability is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analysed in this study.

Data available on request from the authors

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [author initials], upon reasonable request.