Data Reports – a new article type in PeerJ Life & Environment

We are pleased to announce a new submission option for authors via the introduction of “Data Reports” as a new article type in PeerJ Life & Environment.

What are Data Reports? These articles describe new curated datasets – or significant extensions of existing datasets – that hold substantial value for the research community. We recognize the crucial role that high-quality data plays in advancing scientific knowledge, and Data Reports provide a platform for sharing datasets that go beyond a single research paper.

Policies and Procedures for Data Reports:

Clear Rationale and Utility: Authors must articulate the rationale for collecting the dataset and its utility beyond a single research paper. This ensures that the dataset is of interest and value to the broader research community.

Methodological Detail: Submissions should follow the format of a research article, with detailed methodology provided to allow for replication and reproduction of the dataset.

Access: The dataset must either be uploaded with the submission or linked to a publicly accessible repository with a DOI and be available under a free and open license.

FAIR Principles: Data must adhere to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles, with sufficient metadata provided to facilitate reuse.

Ethical Considerations: Authors must comply with PeerJ’s requirements for ethical approval, consent, field permits, and other relevant ethical considerations.

Ongoing Curation: For datasets expected to be extended over time, details of ongoing curation, inclusion/exclusion criteria, storage, and availability must be provided.

We encourage researchers to submit their Data Reports to PeerJ Life & Environment, thus contributing to the open and transparent sharing of scientific data.

For more information on submission guidelines and to submit your Data Report, please visit our Author Guidelines page.