Data availability
All manuscripts must contain a Data Availability Statement indicating whether the data, code, protocols, and materials supporting the findings can be accessed and, if so, where and under what conditions. Where appropriate, authors are encouraged to deposit relevant datasets in recognized public repositories.
If access to data is restricted due to privacy, informed consent, medical confidentiality, contractual obligations, security considerations, intellectual property restrictions, or legal requirements, the nature of the restriction and any available access procedures must be clearly described.
The journal does not require authors to disclose data in a manner that would violate ethical principles, confidentiality obligations, or applicable laws. Editors may request access to supporting data on a confidential basis for the purposes of peer review, editorial assessment, or investigation of concerns regarding the integrity of the work.
Preservation and reproducibility
Authors should retain original data and relevant documentation for a reasonable period in accordance with legal regulations, institutional requirements and research standards. Methods and analyses should be described in sufficient detail to allow for critical evaluation and, where feasible, reproduction.
Clinical trials and registration
Prospective registration of clinical trials is expected in accordance with current ICMJE guidelines. Details of the registration must be included in the manuscript. Other types of studies should be registered or accompanied by a protocol, where recommended by relevant standards.
Preprints
The journal permits the publication of preprints of original research manuscripts on preprint servers of the authors’ choice, on the authors’ own websites or those of their institutions, and supports open communication between researchers, whether on community preprint servers or on platforms designed for commenting on preprints. Preprints may be published at any stage of the peer-review process. The publication of preprints is not considered early publication and will not affect the evaluation of the manuscript. Authors must provide details of the preprint publication, including the DOI and licence terms, upon submission of the manuscript or at any other time during the journal’s peer-review process. Authors must update the preprint record following publication in the journal, where the platform allows this.