Research Data, Code Sharing and Reproducibility Policy

1. Purpose and principles

The International Journal of Disaster Risk Management (IJDRM) supports transparent, verifiable and reproducible research. Authors should preserve and, where ethically, legally and practically possible, share the data, code, instruments and other materials that underpin published findings. Openness must be balanced with privacy, informed consent, security, legal restrictions and the protection of disaster-affected and vulnerable populations.

2. Scope

This policy applies to quantitative and qualitative datasets, geospatial data, images, audio or video records, survey instruments, interview guides, code, algorithms, models, simulation files, protocols, analytical syntax, documentation and other materials necessary to understand or verify a study.

3. Data Availability Statement

Every empirical article must include a Data Availability Statement before the References. The statement must explain where the supporting data and code can be accessed or why access is restricted. Review articles should state whether any extraction sheets, search strategies, screening records or analytical files are available.

Where materials are publicly available, the statement should name the repository, provide a persistent identifier or stable URL, identify the relevant files and state the applicable licence. Personal websites and commercial academic-network profiles should not be used as the sole long-term repository.

4. Recommended repositories

Authors should use a trusted institutional, disciplinary or general-purpose repository that provides persistent access and appropriate metadata, such as an institutional repository, Zenodo, OSF or another recognised service suitable for the discipline and data type. Deposited records should include the article title, authors, description, version, licence, funding information and a link to the final article when available.

5. Data and metadata standards

Shared materials should be complete enough to support interpretation and, where feasible, reproduction of the reported analyses. Authors should use non-proprietary or widely accessible formats where possible, provide a data dictionary or codebook, define variables and units, document cleaning and exclusion decisions, and describe software and version information.

6. Code, models and computational workflows

Articles that rely on custom code, algorithms, machine-learning workflows, GIS procedures, simulations or statistical syntax should provide the relevant code and instructions when legally and practically possible. Authors should document software versions, packages, dependencies, parameters, random seeds, training and validation procedures, and any material computational environment settings.

7. Restricted or sensitive data

IJDRM does not require public disclosure when sharing would violate informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, law, contractual obligations, national security, community safety or legitimate restrictions imposed by a data provider. Examples may include identifiable participant information, data concerning children or disaster survivors, exact locations of vulnerable groups, operational security information, and sensitive critical-infrastructure data.

A restriction must be explained in the Data Availability Statement. Where possible, authors should provide de-identified or aggregated data, controlled-access procedures, synthetic examples, metadata, analytical code or another form of access that supports verification without creating harm.

8. Qualitative research

Full qualitative transcripts may be unsuitable for public sharing when participants could be identified from context. Authors should describe the basis for any restriction and may share de-identified excerpts, coding frameworks, interview guides, codebooks, reflexive notes or controlled-access materials where consent and ethical approval permit.

9. Third-party data

Authors using third-party data must comply with the provider’s terms and may not redistribute materials without permission. The article should identify the source, access procedure and any restrictions clearly enough to allow another qualified researcher to request or obtain the same data where possible.

10. Data citation

Datasets, code and software should be cited as research outputs. Citations should identify the creator, year, title, repository or publisher, version and persistent identifier. Data citations should appear in the reference list when they support the work.

11. Retention and editorial access

Authors should retain the underlying research records for at least five years after publication, or longer when required by an institution, funder, law or disciplinary standard. During review or after publication, the journal may request data, code, ethics documentation or analytical records needed to evaluate a concern. Any confidential transfer will be handled with appropriate safeguards.

12. Reproducibility and reporting

Methods must contain enough information for a qualified reader to understand how the study was designed and analysed. Authors should report sampling, instruments, exclusions, missing-data handling, transformations, software, model specifications, sensitivity analyses and other material decisions. Applicable reporting guidelines, including PRISMA, STROBE, COREQ, SRQR or CONSORT, should be followed where relevant.

13. Non-compliance and post-publication action

Failure to provide promised materials, unexplained discrepancies between shared materials and the article, or evidence of fabrication, falsification or inappropriate manipulation may lead to clarification, correction, expression of concern, retraction or referral to an institution.

14. Model Data Availability Statements

Publicly available data

“The data and code supporting the findings of this study are available in [repository] at [persistent identifier/URL], under [licence].”

Available on reasonable request

“The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Public access is restricted because [specific ethical, privacy, legal or contractual reason].”

Restricted data

“The data are not publicly available because they contain [confidential/sensitive/security-restricted] information and participants did not consent to public release. De-identified or aggregated materials may be made available subject to [conditions].”

No new data

“No new data were created or analysed in this study. All sources are identified in the article.”