When data cannot be shared, write a data availability statement that clearly states the restriction, explains the reason, and provides a legitimate pathway for access or verification. This transparency protects you from accusations of data withholding while satisfying journal and funder requirements.
Start with a clear, direct declaration
Open with an unambiguous sentence stating that the data are not publicly available. Avoid vague phrasing like “data available on request” if that is not actually true. For example: “The data that support the findings of this study are not openly available due to [reason].”
Specify the reason for restriction
Journals expect you to justify non-sharing. Common acceptable reasons include:
- Ethical or legal constraints (e.g., identifying patient information, GDPR or HIPAA compliance)
- Third-party ownership (e.g., data licensed from a commercial provider or government agency)
- Security or proprietary concerns (e.g., national security, trade secrets)
- Ongoing collaboration agreements that prevent release until a project concludes
Be specific—name the ethics board, law, or contract clause if applicable.
Offer a controlled access alternative
Even when you cannot post data publicly, you can often provide a mediated route:
- State who to contact (e.g., the corresponding author or a data access committee)
- Mention any approval process (e.g., “requests will be reviewed by the institutional review board”)
- If applicable, include a data sharing agreement template or note that de-identified subsets can be shared
Mention any partial availability
If aggregated data, code, or analysis scripts are shareable, say so separately. For instance: “While raw interview transcripts cannot be shared, the anonymized coding framework and analysis code are available in [repository].”
Use a standard template
Many journals provide phrasing, but a robust generic version is:
“The data underlying this article cannot be shared publicly due to [reason]. Data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, subject to [approval/agreement], for researchers who meet the criteria for access to confidential data.”
Check funder and journal rules
Some funders mandate data sharing even with restrictions—you may need to deposit metadata or a data availability statement in a repository like Zenodo or Figshare. Confirm your target journal’s policy on restricted statements before submission.
If you are managing multiple papers with restricted datasets, WisPaper’s My Library can help you track which files and versions correspond to each statement, keeping your compliance records organized across projects.
