A Data Access Statement (DAS, also known as a Data Availability Statement) is a short statement that tells the reader of a publication where the underpinning data are.
This includes code, software, images, sounds, textual records, objects. If data cannot be shared, or no data were created or used, the DAS provides the reasons for this.
Some funders, including UKRI, and many publishers require you to provide a DAS in your publications.
Ideally, deposit your data in a repository, whether open or restricted access. This will provide you with a persistent identifier (Digital Object Identifier (DOI) or accession number) which you can include in your DAS.
You should include a DAS in all of your publications.
Postgraduates should also include one in their thesis.
In Figshare, your data receives a DOI when it is published. You can also reserve a DOI to put in your DAS if you do not want to publish the data before your publication is published. Or you can embargo the data until your publication is published.
There may be circumstances in which access must be restricted or you cannot share data at all. For example:
data owned by a third party;
personal data that cannot be anonymised;
sensitive, restricted or confidential data (e.g. under a non-disclosure agreement, patent pending or other contractual restrictions); or
large datasets that exceed the file size for a repository.
In all cases, you must provide a reason for not making the data available. If applicable, you must state the conditions under which data can be accessed.
If you can’t deposit the data in a restricted-access repository, make arrangements to store the data securely. Direct requests for data access to an existing departmental email address to ensure continuity if you leave the University. You will need to discuss this with your Faculty or department.
You can create an Edge Hill Figshare metadata-only record for your data with further information about the data and conditions for access and you can then share the DOI in your DAS.
Consider digitising hard copy or non-digital data. If this is not possible, your DAS should include the location of the non-digital data. You can create an Edge Hill Figshare record for your non-digital as well as your digital data with a corresponding DOI that can be shared in your DAS.
If your publisher provides guidance, follow this. Usually, there is a section in the manuscript for ‘Data access’ or ‘Data availability’. If you are unsure where to place your DAS, add it to the acknowledgements section.
Note that the data access section is sometimes not included in the published article, so check this with the publisher. If it is not, make sure that you also include a DAS within the manuscript.
What should my Data Access Statement include?
Where the data can be accessed,
A URL to the data, ideally in the form of a persistent identifier (DOI), and
Any restrictions on access to the data and an explanation as to why it is not openly available.
It is also best practice to include a full citation for the data in your main references list.
It is not sufficient to state “Data will be made available upon reasonable request” or to direct requests for access to data to the author.
You can adapt the following examples as appropriate.
Openly available data
“The data underpinning this research are available from [the Edge Hill University Data Repository] at [insert DOI].”
“All data supporting this study are provided in full in the ‘Results’ section of this paper.”
“All data supporting this study are provided as supplementary information accompanying this paper at [insert URL or DOI].”
Secondary data
“This study is based on the use of pre-existing data that are available at [locations cited in the ‘References’ section of this paper OR insert DOI or URL]. Further documentation about data processing is openly available from [the Edge Hill University Data Repository] at [insert DOI].”
“This study is based on the use of primary sources accessed from several archives. A full list of the sources is available in the ‘References’ section of this paper.”
“Data used for this study were obtained from [insert details with URLs if possible] and are subject to access restrictions.”
Data under embargo
“Supporting data will be available from [the Edge Hill University Data Repository] at [insert DOI] after a [XX-month] embargo period from the date of [data collection/publication] to allow for the [publication/commercialisation] of research findings.”
“Due to [the terms of participants’ consent OR other reason], supporting data cannot be made openly available. Further information about the data and conditions for access are available from [the Edge Hill University Data Repository] at [insert DOI].”
“Data, plus other supporting information, from participants who consented to data sharing, are available from the [UK Data Service or other restricted repository], subject to registration at [insert DOI].”
“Data supporting this paper will be available from [the Edge Hill University Data Repository] at [insert DOI] after a [XX-month] embargo period from the date of publication to allow for commercialisation of research findings.”
“Due to confidentiality agreements with research collaborators, supporting data can only be made available to bona fide researchers subject to a non-disclosure agreement. Details of the data and how to request access are available from [the Edge Hill University Data Repository] at [insert DOI].”
“Due to file size it is not possible to make associated data readily available. Details of the data and how to request access are available from [the Edge Hill University Data Repository] at [insert DOI].”
Non-digital data
“Non-digital data supporting this study are stored by the corresponding author at [Edge Hill University]. Details of how to request access to these data are provided in the documentation available from [the Edge Hill University Data Repository] at [insert DOI].”
No new data created or analysed
“This study is not based on any new or pre-existing data.”
“No data were created or analysed in this study.”
Further support
For support with data access statements or other research data management questions, please contact Esther Byrom, Research Data Manager.