Data Sharing Policy
The Wah Academia Journal of Health and Nutrition supports transparency, reproducibility, and responsible data sharing in accordance with the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the ethical guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Scope of the Policy
This policy applies to all research articles reporting original data, including clinical, public health, laboratory, and nutrition-related studies.
Data Availability Statement
All manuscripts must include a Data Availability Statement describing:
• Whether the data supporting the findings of the study are available
• Where and how the data can be accessed
• Any conditions or restrictions on data access
Clinical Trials
In line with ICMJE requirements, manuscripts reporting clinical trials must include a data sharing statement indicating:
• What individual participant data (IPD), if any, will be shared
• What related documents will be available (e.g., study protocol, statistical analysis plan)
• When the data will be available and for how long
• By what access mechanism the data may be obtained
Ethical and Legal Considerations
Data sharing must be conducted in a manner that protects:
• Participant confidentiality and privacy
• Sensitive personal or health information
• Intellectual property and legal obligations
Data that cannot be shared due to ethical, legal, or privacy restrictions must be clearly identified, and the reasons for these restrictions must be stated in the manuscript.
Repositories and Data Access
Authors are encouraged to deposit data in recognized, publicly accessible repositories where appropriate. When public sharing is not feasible, data should be made available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author, subject to ethical approval and data use agreements.
Editorial Oversight
The editorial board reserves the right to:
• Request clarification regarding data availability
• Assess the adequacy of data sharing statements
• Reject manuscripts that fail to comply with this policy
Any concerns regarding data transparency or misuse will be handled in accordance with COPE guidelines.
