Data Sharing Policy

CrossLink Studies (CLS) is committed to fostering transparency, reproducibility, and the responsible dissemination of scientific knowledge. Data sharing is an integral component of our open-access publishing model and supports the advancement of global research collaboration.

Commitment to Open and Reproducible Research
CLS encourages authors to make the data underlying their research findings openly accessible wherever possible. Data sharing enhances scientific integrity, enables validation of results, and promotes innovation by allowing other researchers to build upon existing work.

Authors are expected to provide the minimum dataset necessary to support the conclusions of their study, ensuring that results can be independently verified and reproduced.

Data Availability Requirements
All submissions to CLS journals must include a Data Availability Statement that clearly outlines the status and accessibility of the data used in the study.

Authors should specify one of the following:

• Data available in a publicly accessible repository
• Data available upon reasonable request
• Data subject to restrictions (ethical, legal, or commercial)
• Data derived from publicly available sources
• No new data generated (for theoretical studies)

This requirement ensures transparency and allows readers to understand how the data supporting the research can be accessed.

Data Repositories and Archiving
CLS strongly recommends that authors deposit datasets, code, and supplementary materials in trusted and recognized repositories to ensure long-term preservation and accessibility.

Where repository deposition is not feasible, authors must provide a clear justification and ensure that the data can be made available upon request to qualified researchers.

Ethical and Legal Considerations
Data sharing must comply with all applicable ethical standards, legal requirements, and institutional policies. Authors are responsible for ensuring that:

Data sharing does not violate participant confidentiality or privacy
Appropriate consent has been obtained for data use and sharing
Sensitive or proprietary data is handled in accordance with regulations

In cases where sharing is restricted, authors must clearly explain the limitations and conditions under which the data may be accessed.

Peer Review and Editorial Transparency
During the peer review process, authors may be required to provide raw data or supporting datasets to editors and reviewers to validate the integrity of the research.

CLS reserves the right to request additional data to ensure scientific rigor and compliance with publication standards.

Licensing and Reuse
Where datasets are shared publicly, authors are encouraged to apply clear licensing terms that enable reuse while ensuring proper attribution. CLS supports open licensing practices aligned with its broader open-access mission.

Long-Term Preservation and Accessibility
While CLS does not impose strict time limits on data retention, authors are encouraged to maintain and archive their datasets in a manner that ensures continued accessibility and usability for the research community.

Promoting a Culture of Data Sharing
Through its policies, CLS aims to cultivate a research environment where data sharing is recognized as a standard scholarly practice — enhancing collaboration, accelerating discovery, and strengthening trust in scientific outputs.