Journal of Advanced Cytology - Data Archiving Permissions

Responsible data sharing supports reproducibility and trust in cytology research.

Every submission must include a data availability statement describing where data are stored, how they can be accessed, or why access is restricted.

• Public repositories with persistent identifiers
• Controlled access repositories for sensitive clinical data
• Data available from the corresponding author on reasonable request
• Data within the article or supplementary files

Remove personal identifiers and confirm consent for data sharing. Sensitive datasets should use controlled access with clear governance.

Authors may request embargo periods when data are linked to ongoing clinical programs or pending patents.

Provide a clear end date, rationale, and access pathway for controlled release.

Provide data dictionaries, readme files, and clear variable definitions. Use open formats such as CSV for tabular data.

For imaging datasets, provide file formats, magnification details, and labeling conventions.

For molecular assays, include platform details, preprocessing steps, and quality control metrics.

Controlled access datasets should define oversight structures and request procedures.

• Data access committee or review process
• Eligibility criteria for secondary use
• Expected response timelines
• Required data use agreements

Organize files with clear naming conventions and consistent units to support reuse by other laboratories.

Provide readme files that describe folder structure, software requirements, and variable definitions.

Share analysis scripts when possible to support reproducibility and validation.

Archive code in repositories that provide version control and persistent identifiers.

For patient or diagnostic datasets, apply de identification procedures and restrict access when required.

Describe how privacy protections align with institutional policies and regulatory requirements.

Provide protocol documents for staining, slide preparation, and imaging workflows to support reproducibility.

Standardized protocols help laboratories compare results across studies and settings.

Maintain archived datasets for a reasonable period and document version updates clearly.

• Document version changes with dates
• Preserve analysis files and key outputs
• Update metadata when files change

Cite datasets with persistent identifiers to support reuse and attribution.

Responsible data sharing enables validation studies, meta analyses, and clinical protocol improvements.

Clear documentation strengthens trust in cytology evidence and supports reproducibility.

If data are available on request, provide a clear contact method and expected response timeline.

Requests should be evaluated consistently and without unreasonable barriers.

Clear archiving practices improve reproducibility, strengthen trust, and support long term cytology research use.

Well organized archives also enable efficient meta analyses and protocol comparisons.

When sharing image datasets, provide annotations, labeling conventions, and reference images that support training and validation.

Describe any compression steps and confirm that image quality remains sufficient for diagnostic review.

For restricted datasets, include contact information, application steps, and expected review timelines.

Clear access planning ensures that secondary researchers can request data efficiently while protecting participant privacy.

Well documented access pathways reduce administrative delays and support responsible data reuse.

• Identify the responsible data contact
• Provide request forms or email pathways
• Describe review criteria for access
• Define expected response timelines

Keep raw data, processed datasets, and analysis outputs organized to support verification and reuse.

Clear file organization reduces delays when access requests are approved.

Document file relationships to support efficient reuse.

Provide clear version dates for updated datasets.