Data Availability Statement Examples & Templates for Journals (2026)
In modern academic publishing, the Data Availability Statement (DAS) is no longer an optional courtesy—it is a mandatory editorial condition for peer review across almost every major scientific publishing house. Journals published by Nature Portfolio, Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, Taylor & Francis, and PLOS ONE routinely return manuscripts to authors before peer review if the statement is missing, ambiguous, or non-compliant.
The days of writing a perfunctory sentence like "Data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request" are effectively over. Journals have cracked down on vague sharing claims because empirical research has proven that authors rarely fulfill such requests. Today, editorial offices demand transparent, actionable statements that align with the FAIR Principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).
This authoritative guide provides verbatim, copy-pasteable templates for the 6 standard data-sharing scenarios, breaks down publisher policies, and explains exact placement in Microsoft Word manuscripts to ensure smooth passage through technical screening.
The 6 Standard Data Sharing Scenarios & Copy-Pasteable Templates
Choose the scenario that accurately reflects the status of your research data. Copy the verbatim template, replace the bracketed placeholders, and paste it into your manuscript's back-matter section.
Scenario 1: Data Deposited in a Public Repository (The Gold Standard)
This template is mandatory for Nature Portfolio, PLOS ONE, and Tier 3/4 journals whenever data can be publicly shared without privacy restrictions. The repository must assign a persistent DOI or accession number.
Data Availability: The raw and processed datasets generated and analyzed during the current study have been deposited in the [Repository Name, e.g., Zenodo / Figshare / Dryad] repository under accession code / DOI [https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxxxx] [cite reference]. Additional derived summary statistics supporting the findings of this study are available within the paper and its Supplementary Information files.
Example: "The single-cell RNA-sequencing data generated in this study have been deposited in the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) under accession number GSE184920. Source data for Figures 1–4 are provided with the paper."
Scenario 2: Data Included in Supplementary Information Files
Applicable when the entire dataset is small enough (e.g., summary tables, biochemical assay spreadsheets, compound spectra) to be bundled directly as an electronic supplementary spreadsheet (.xlsx, .csv) accompanying the article.
Data Availability: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary information files (Supplementary Data 1–3). Raw uncropped Western blot images and instrument output logs are provided in the Supplementary Material.
Scenario 3: Sensitive Clinical, Patient, or Human Subject Data (Restricted Access)
When clinical trial protocols, patient confidentiality, medical ethics, or privacy regulations (GDPR, HIPAA) prohibit open public deposition, you must document the restriction and specify how qualified researchers can request controlled access.
Data Availability: The clinical data that support the findings of this study are not publicly available due to patient confidentiality agreements and ethical restrictions imposed by the [Institutional Review Board / Ethics Committee Name, Protocol #XXXX]. De-identified participant data may be made available to qualified academic researchers upon reasonable request to the corresponding author [Author Initials, Email], subject to a formal Data Transfer Agreement (DTA) and approval by the institutional ethics board.
Scenario 4: Third-Party or Proprietary Commercial Data
When your research utilizes datasets owned, licensed, or compiled by a third party (such as financial market data, commercial satellite imagery, or proprietary industrial databases) that you do not have legal authorization to re-distribute.
Data Availability: The data that support the findings of this study are available from [Third-Party Provider Name, e.g., Bloomberg LP / NASA Earthdata / CoreLogic], but restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under license for the current study and are not publicly available. Data are available directly from the provider at [URL / Contact Information] under standard licensing terms. All aggregated derived variables analyzed by the authors are available from the corresponding author upon request.
Scenario 5: No New Data Generated or Analyzed (Review Articles & Theory)
For systematic reviews, meta-analyses, perspective pieces, or purely mathematical and theoretical papers where no original empirical data was collected.
Data Availability: No new empirical data were generated or analyzed in support of this research. All published literature analyzed during this systematic review is cited within the References section, and the search protocol is documented in the Methods section.
Scenario 6: Data Available on Reasonable Request (Restricted Contexts Only)
Only use this phrasing if the target journal explicitly permits it (such as certain Taylor & Francis Basic tier or IEEE conference papers) and your data cannot be placed in a repository due to temporary logistical constraints.
Data Availability: The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Publisher-Specific Data Policies Compared (2026)
While the underlying philosophy of open data is universal, individual publishing houses enforce distinct policy tiers and verification mechanisms:
| Publisher | Policy Tier | Mandatory Repository Deposit? | "Reasonable Request" Accepted? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature Portfolio | Strict Mandate | Yes (Mandatory for key datasets, e.g. genomics, imaging) | No (Exceptional ethical justification only) |
| PLOS ONE | Full Open Access | Yes (All raw data must be publicly accessible at publication) | Strictly Forbidden |
| Elsevier | Research Data Policy | Encouraged / Mandated by journal (Mendeley Data integration) | Permitted for non-mandate journals |
| Wiley | 4-Tier System | Mandatory for Tier 3 & Tier 4 journals | Permitted only in Tiers 1 & 2 (Encouraged/Expects) |
| Springer Nature | 4-Type Policy | Mandated in Type 3 & Type 4 journals | Allowed in Type 1 & 2 only |
| Taylor & Francis | 5-Tier Sharing | Mandated in "Open" and "Open & Verified" tiers | Allowed in "Basic" and "Shared" tiers |
| IEEE | DataPort / Standard | Encouraged via IEEE DataPort | Permitted in most engineering transactions |
| DAS Requirement | ❌ Common Rejection Pitfall | ✓ Compliant Submission Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Public Data SharingPersistent Repository Access | Vague 'data available upon reasonable request' without repository accession or persistent link. Triggers immediate pre-screening desk return on Nature, PLOS ONE, and Tier 3/4 journals. | Persistent DOI or accession number (e.g. Zenodo, Dryad, GEO, Figshare) cited directly in text. Raw data deposited prior to submission with unrestricted public access upon publication. |
| Section PlacementOpenXML Heading Hierarchy | Buried inside Methods narrative, inline footnotes, or Supplementary captions. Automated JATS XML ingest parsers (Ripeta, EM) fail to detect mandatory declaration tags. | Dedicated unnumbered Level 1 heading titled 'Data Availability' in back matter preceding References. Follows Acknowledgments/CRediT and immediately precedes the Bibliography. |
| Bibliographic CitationDataCite Standards | Accession code mentioned only in passing within text without formal bibliographic entry. Datasets receive no citation tracking, indexing metrics, or author attribution. | Formal bibliographic entry in References section following DataCite standards. Complete with author creators, year, dataset title, repository name, and persistent DOI link. |
| Sensitive / Clinical DataEthics & IRB Compliance | Blanket claim of 'patient confidentiality' without identifying governing ethics body or access criteria. Desk hold triggered by editorial integrity office requiring documented proof. | Explicitly names approving IRB/Ethics Committee, protocol number, and formal DTA request protocol. States de-identification standards (HIPAA/GDPR) and criteria for qualified researcher access. |
| Supplementary FilesElectronic File Packaging | Unindexed bundle of arbitrary spreadsheets (.xlsx, .csv) with generic filenames. Reviewers and production staff unable to match claims with underlying datasets. | Numbered Supplementary Data (Data 1–N) with explicit descriptive captions and format specifications. Referenced systematically in the text and summarized in the Data Availability Statement. |
Where to Place Data Availability Statements in Microsoft Word
A common formatting error is burying the Data Availability Statement in the Methods section or inside a footnote. Automated production intake software relies on standard heading tags in OpenXML to categorize manuscript sections.
Exact Manuscript Structural Sequence:
- Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion (IMRaD Body)
- Conclusion
- Back Matter (Unnumbered Headings):
- Acknowledgments
- Author Contributions (CRediT statement)
- Funding / Competing Interests
- Data Availability (Target Section)
- Code Availability (if computational scripts/algorithms were developed)
- References (Bibliography)
In Word, format the heading using your template’s Heading 1 style, but suppress numbering so it does not appear as "Section 6. Data Availability".
How to Formally Cite Datasets (DataCite Standards)
When you deposit data in a public repository, you must not only mention the DOI in your Data Availability Statement, but also cite the dataset as an independent bibliographic entry in your manuscript’s References list. This ensures you and your co-authors receive academic citation credit for the dataset itself.
DataCite Bibliographic Reference Formula:
Authors (Year). Dataset Title. Repository Name. Identifier / Persistent DOI LinkExample: Smith, J. R., & Kumar, A. (2026). High-throughput genomic sequences and expression profiles of resistant maize cultivars [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10849201
Automated Pre-Submission Compliance with ScholarSpec
Missing mandatory declaration statements is one of the leading causes of 48-hour desk delays. Before your manuscript reaches a peer reviewer, editorial assistants must manually inspect your back matter for Data Availability, CRediT Author Statements, Funding disclosures, and Conflict of Interest sections.
ScholarSpec’s automated Academic Compliance Scanner inspects your Word document (.docx) against verified publisher profiles (Nature, Elsevier, IEEE, Wiley, Springer Nature). The engine flags missing statements, audits heading placement, validates 3-line tables, and normalizes line numbering in a single click.
Scan Your Manuscript for Mandatory Disclosures
Upload your raw Word draft (.docx) to ScholarSpec. Our compliance engine audits Data Availability, CRediT statements, and journal formatting in seconds.
Format Research Paper Now ➔Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why is 'data available upon reasonable request' no longer accepted by top journals?
Empirical studies in meta-research have shown that over 80% of authors who state 'data available upon request' either fail to respond or refuse to share data when contacted after publication. In response, publishers like Nature Portfolio, PLOS ONE, and high-impact Wiley and Elsevier titles have restricted or banned this phrasing, requiring public repository deposition or specific institutional ethics justifications for restricted data.
What repositories are officially recommended by major academic publishers?
Publishers recommend discipline-specific repositories that assign persistent DOIs or accession numbers. For general data, Zenodo (CERN), Dryad, Figshare, and the Open Science Framework (OSF) are widely accepted. For genomics, NCBI SRA, GEO, and ENA are standard. For proteomics, ProteomeXchange/PRIDE is mandated. For crystallography, the CCDC/CSD is required.
How should I handle data that cannot be made public due to patient privacy or GDPR?
When patient confidentiality, clinical trial protocols, or data protection laws (such as GDPR or HIPAA) prohibit open public deposition, you must explicitly state the nature of the restriction, identify the ethics committee or institutional review board (IRB) that imposed the restriction, and provide the exact procedure (including contact information) through which qualified researchers may request controlled access.
Where should the Data Availability Statement be located in a Word manuscript?
In standard IMRaD manuscripts formatted for Nature, Springer, Wiley, and Elsevier, the Data Availability Statement belongs in the back matter, immediately preceding the References section and following Acknowledgments or Methods. It must appear under an unnumbered Level 1 heading recognized by automated editorial ingestion engines.
Do I need to cite my dataset in the References list in addition to the statement?
Yes. Leading publishers adhere to the Joint Declaration of Data Citation Principles. Datasets deposited in public repositories must be formally cited in the text and included in the References section using DataCite standards, complete with authors, year, dataset title, repository name, and persistent DOI link.
Looking for other mandatory submission statements? Check our companion guide on CRediT Author Statement Guide & Templates or review our master Academic Journal Manuscript Submission Checklist.