Open data and code in the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology

Have you ever tried to conduct a research project using data from another study, only to find that the original data you need were no longer available? When data are archived in a repository, it improves accessibility for all researchers and facilitates the rapid advancement of science. 

In support of open science, the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology (CJPP) and its publisher, Canadian Science Publishing (CSP), are announcing a new Data and Code Availability Policy. Beginning September 26, 2024, for studies presenting original results, authors of accepted manuscripts at CJPP will be required to make all data and code needed to reproduce those results publicly available in an online data repository. 

What is open science? 

Open science is a global movement to make scientific outputs available and discoverable for public use. Open science aims to make science publicly available to read (open access), reducing obstacles to knowledge and encouraging collaboration and advancement through the free flow of information. One key aspect of open science is engaging in Open Data practices. 

So, what is open data? 

Open Data or code are research data that are free for anyone to access or reuse. These data are typically stored in a repository or archive, or included as supplementary material alongside an article.  

The CSP Open Access Glossary, under the “O” category, is an excellent resource to explore all of your “open” science publishing questions.   

Benefits of an open data and code policy 

There are many benefits associated with an open data and code policy. Here are just a few of them: 

• Reproducibility: Open data and code ensure results can be independently validated and reproduced, which is crucial for ensuring the reliability of scientific claims.
• Accuracy: By making data and code freely available, the scientific community has the opportunity to review, identify, and correct any errors or inconsistencies, leading to more reliable scientific literature.
• Trust: Transparency fosters trust in both in the scientific community and in the public, reinforcing the credibility of current and future studies.
• Advancement: By reusing existing data and code, researchers can build on previous work and avoid duplicating efforts.

“Publishing open data in CJPP will allow authors to share their research to a wider scientific community,” says Dr. Lorrie Kirshenbaum, Editor-in-Chief of CJPP, and Director of the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at St-Boniface Hospital in Manitoba. “[This new policy will] allow for free flow of information that would otherwise not be possible using traditional publication routes, and opening new opportunities for advanced collaborations with investigators worldwide.” 

What does this policy mean for authors?

Before you submit 

• Read the CJPP Data and Code Availability Policy. 

• Include a Data Availability Statement in the manuscript you are submitting, and in the Reference list cite all datasets used. 

• Make sure your data and code are ready to be shared—data and code must be available to editors and reviewers as part of the confidential peer review process at the time of submission, even if they are not yet uploaded to a public repository. 

• Contact the CJPP Editorial Office at cjpp@cdnsciencepub.com if restricting access to data or code is necessary (e.g., Data belonging to Indigenous communities). 

After your paper is accepted 

• Block time in your schedule to prepare the data and code for public archiving. Prepare your data and code to meet the specifications required by the repository you have chosen. To improve the likelihood your data and code will be used, include clear metadata and instructions for use. 

• Ensure that your data and code have been uploaded to a community-endorsed publicly accessible repository that issues DOIs and has archival processes (which allow data and code to be used not only when a paper is first published but indefinitely). Example repositories include: Dryad, Figshare, Open Science Framework, and Zenodo. (Please note that repositories on sites such as GitHub can be modified and long-term preservation and access to these sites are not guaranteed.) 

• When your study includes nucleic acid sequences, submit the relevant data to an appropriate database. The accession number assigned to the deposited sequence must be provided in the manuscript. Learn more about submitting to GenBank.

• Make sure your archived data and code have appropriate open-source licenses that permit their reuse. 

• Ask a colleague to download the data and code to confirm they can run it on a new system. 

After your paper is published

• When sharing your paper, include the DOI of the open data and code. 

Any questions or concerns about this policy? Feel free to reach out to us at cjpp@cdnsciencepub.com.