Research Data & Transparency

The Journal of Exact Community Health & Rehabilitation Sciences (JECH), published by EXACT RESEARCH SOLUTIONS (SMC-PRIVATE) LIMITED, strongly supports responsible research transparency, reproducibility, and open science practices across physical therapy, rehabilitation, community health, and allied medical sciences.

Research Data & Transparency Framework

Where appropriate, clinically relevant, and ethically permissible, authors are encouraged (and in specific clinical trial designs, may be required) to make research data accessible, reusable, and verifiable. Acceptable data deposits include:

  • Anonymized raw clinical data and health outcomes.

  • Processed datasets and observational measurements.

  • Statistical syntax, computational code, and analytical scripts.

  • Clinical assessment tools, survey questionnaires, and validation instruments.

  • Trial protocols, intervention guidelines, and methodology manuals.

  • Structured metadata and clinical supplementary files.

Exceptions apply where patient privacy, clinical confidentiality, intellectual property, or legal restrictions exist. Authors bear full responsibility for ensuring shared data complies with medical ethics and privacy laws.

Approved Data Repositories

Authors are encouraged to deposit research datasets in recognized, persistent digital repositories:

  • General-Purpose Repositories: Zenodo, Figshare, Dryad, Open Science Framework (OSF), or Mendeley Data.

  • Institutional & Academic Repositories: University digital archives and national health repository platforms.

  • Domain-Specific Repositories: ClinicalTrials.gov, PhysioNet, UK Data Service, or relevant health data archives.

Data Availability Statement (DAS)

A mandatory Data Availability Statement (DAS) must be included in every original research article submitted to JECH, placed prior to the reference section. Authors must select one of the following standardized declarations:

  • Format 1 (Data Available in Repository):

    "The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available in the [Repository Name] repository at the following persistent web link: [Insert Direct URL]."

  • Format 2 (Data Available Upon Reasonable Request):

    "The data supporting the clinical findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request from qualified researchers."

  • Format 3 (Data Restricted Due to Ethics/Confidentiality):

    "The raw clinical data cannot be shared publicly due to patient confidentiality, institutional review board (IRB) restrictions, and ethical guidelines. Anonymized data may be made available upon reasonable request with institutional approval."

  • Format 4 (No Data Generated):

    "No new empirical datasets were generated or analyzed during this study."

Confidentiality & Ethical Considerations

Research involving human participants, patient clinical records, or sensitive community health data must be rigorously protected:

  • All datasets involving human subjects must be fully de-identified and anonymized prior to deposit.

  • Authors must adhere strictly to participant informed consent agreements, Ethics Committee / IRB approval requirements, and applicable national medical data protection laws.

Data Citation Requirements

When referencing external or author-deposited datasets, authors must formally cite them in the manuscript reference list using standard bibliographic elements:

  • Author(s) / Organization Name

  • Year of Publication / Release

  • Dataset Title

  • Repository Name

  • Stable Access URL or Persistent Handle

Code, Software, and Algorithm Transparency

To ensure analytical transparency and computational reproducibility, authors are encouraged to share custom code, software syntax, and analysis scripts:

  • Statistical code (e.g., R, Python, SPSS syntax, STATA code) used for quantitative evaluations.

  • Algorithmic workflows and parameter settings relevant to key clinical findings.

  • Code may be deposited via GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Zenodo, or institutional repositories.

Research Reproducibility

Every manuscript published in JECH must clearly describe:

  • Comprehensive methodological procedures and clinical intervention protocols.

  • Experimental design, sample size calculations, and statistical assumptions.

  • Participant inclusion and exclusion criteria.

  • Step-by-step data collection workflows and analytical procedures.

Data Misconduct & Integrity Verification

If data fabrication, falsification, unauthorized manipulation, or selective reporting is suspected during review or post-publication:

  • The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to request raw, unedited datasets and underlying analytical syntax for editorial verification.

  • Failure or refusal to provide raw data without valid justification may result in immediate manuscript rejection or formal retraction of published articles.

  • Serious instances of verified data manipulation will be formally escalated to the authors' institutional oversight bodies in accordance with ICMJE Recommendations and COPE standards.

Journal Responsibilities

EXACT RESEARCH SOLUTIONS (SMC-PRIVATE) LIMITED and JECH commit to:

  • Ensuring every published research paper contains a verified Data Availability Statement.

  • Linking published articles directly to deposited repository datasets where links are provided.

  • Safeguarding ethical standards while advocating for open, transparent health and rehabilitation science.

Exceptions to Data Sharing

Mandatory public data sharing is waived when:

  • Ethical board restrictions or patient confidentiality obligations prohibit public release.

  • Third-party license agreements or legal non-disclosure restrictions prevent sharing.

  • Sharing presents verified security or health risks.

In all exceptional cases, the Data Availability Statement must explicitly explain the nature of the restriction.