Research Data and Reproducibility

Description 

JFU supports transparent and reproducible research across theoretical, computational, experimental, materials, nuclear, medical, environmental, biophysical, electronics, and instrumentation physics. This policy covers data, software, code, calibration files, models, protocols, images, simulations, and other materials needed to evaluate reported findings. 

JFU recognizes that ethical, legal, privacy, security, licensing, commercial, cultural, or third-party constraints may limit public sharing. Restrictions must be specific and transparent. 

Policy 

  1. Every research article must include a Data Availability Statement, including where no new data were generated or analyzed. 
  2. Data and code that support the findings should be deposited in a trusted disciplinary, general, or institutional repository with a persistent identifier whenever ethically, legally, and technically possible. 
  3. “Available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request” may be used only when public deposit is inappropriate. The restriction, responsible custodian, eligibility conditions, and access route must be stated. 
  4. Authors must preserve underlying research records in accordance with institutional, funder, ethics, and legal requirements, and for no less than five years after publication unless a longer period applies. 
  5. Fabrication, falsification, selective omission intended to mislead, deceptive image manipulation, and misrepresentation of computational output are prohibited. 
  6. Image adjustments must be applied consistently to the entire image unless a localized adjustment is scientifically necessary and clearly disclosed. Authors must retain original, unprocessed files. 
  7. Manuscripts must report methods, software and version information, model parameters, instrument settings, calibration procedures, uncertainty, and analytical decisions in sufficient detail for evaluation and reasonable replication. 
  8. Editors and reviewers may request supporting data, code, raw images, protocols, or laboratory records during review. Failure to provide necessary materials without a valid reason may prevent publication. 
  9. Sensitive human or clinical data must not be shared in a way that breaches consent, privacy, confidentiality, ethics approval, or applicable law. 

Technical Operational Steps 

  1. At submission, authors select or write a Data Availability Statement and provide repository identifiers and access conditions. 
  2. The Journal Office checks that repository links, accession numbers, and persistent identifiers resolve and correspond to the manuscript. 
  3. The handling editor and reviewers assess whether the available materials and methodological description are sufficient to support evaluation of the claims. 
  4. For restricted data, the editor checks whether the stated restriction is specific, credible, and accompanied by a workable access process where access is legally and ethically possible. 
  5. Before publication, the production editor verifies that the final Data Availability Statement, repository citation, and supplementary-material links are included in the article. 
  6. If promised data or code become unavailable, the Journal Office contacts the corresponding author and repository or institution as appropriate. 
  7. Concerns affecting reliability are handled through correction, expression of concern, retraction, or the Misconduct Policy, depending on severity and evidence. 
  8. JFU periodically checks repository and supplementary-file links and records material failures.