Afarand journals encourage open, verifiable research and require transparency about the data behind every article.
Data availability statement. Every research article states where the underlying data, code and materials can be found, or why they cannot be shared (for example privacy, consent or legal restrictions). Where possible, data are deposited in a trusted public repository with a persistent identifier, and cited in the reference list following the FAIR principles and the Joint Declaration of Data Citation Principles.
Data for review and retention. Authors provide raw data to editors and reviewers on request and retain it for at least 5 years after publication, or longer if required by their institution, funder or national regulation.
Reporting standards. Authors follow the reporting guideline appropriate to the study design, as listed by the EQUATOR Network (for example CONSORT, SPIRIT, PRISMA 2020, STROBE, STARD, CARE, ARRIVE 2.0), and submit the completed checklist. Methods must contain enough detail for others to replicate the work.
Research and image integrity. Images, blots, gels and figures must not be altered beyond minor adjustments applied evenly to the whole image. Editors may request original files, and journals may screen for image duplication and manipulation.
Statistics and methods. Statistical methods, software and versions are described, and the journal may request statistical review for studies where this is appropriate.
Negative and replication results. Well-conducted studies reporting null or negative results and replications are considered on the same terms as other studies (see the Framework section).
This page is part of the Afarand Best Practice Statement, which contains the complete text of all sections.