Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy

1. Introduction

Journal of Lex et Justitia is committed to promoting transparency, accountability, and scholarly integrity in legal research and justice studies. This policy provides guidance on the responsible sharing and accessibility of research data while respecting legal, ethical, and confidentiality considerations inherent in legal scholarship.

2. Definition of Research Data

In the context of legal research, research data may include:

  • Legal documents, statutes, regulations, and court decisions

  • Case study materials and legal analysis datasets

  • Interview transcripts, surveys, or empirical legal research data

  • Coding frameworks, analytical methods, or supplementary materials

3. Data Availability Requirement

  • Authors are encouraged to make supporting research data accessible whenever possible.

  • Each manuscript must include a Data Availability Statement describing how the data can be accessed.

  • If data cannot be shared publicly, authors must clearly explain the reasons.

4. Data Repositories and Access

Authors may share data through:

  • Institutional or national repositories

  • Reputable open-access repositories relevant to law and social sciences

  • Official public legal databases (e.g., legislation or court decision repositories)

  • Supplementary files provided by the journal, where appropriate

All shared data should be accurate, complete, and properly referenced.

5. Exceptions and Restrictions

Data sharing may be limited due to:

  • Confidentiality of legal cases or parties

  • Protection of personal, sensitive, or classified information

  • Legal or contractual restrictions

  • Ethical obligations related to ongoing litigation or judicial processes

In such cases:

  • Data should be anonymized where possible

  • Data may be made available upon reasonable request, subject to legal and ethical approval

6. Data Availability Statement

Each article must include a statement indicating:

  • Whether data are publicly available

  • Where and how the data can be accessed

  • Any conditions or restrictions on access

Example Statements:

  • “All legal materials analyzed in this study are publicly available from official government and court databases.”

  • “Due to confidentiality restrictions, the supporting data are not publicly available but may be accessed upon reasonable request.”

7. Author Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for:

  • Ensuring the accuracy, reliability, and integrity of shared data

  • Complying with applicable legal and ethical requirements

  • Properly citing all data sources and legal materials

  • Retaining original data for a reasonable period after publication

8. Editorial and Reviewer Responsibilities

  • Editors and reviewers may request access to data during the peer review process.

  • Any data shared during review will be treated as confidential.

  • The journal does not assume responsibility for maintaining external data repositories.

9. Compliance and Misconduct

Failure to comply with this policy may result in:

  • Requests for clarification or revision

  • Manuscript rejection

  • Post-publication correction or retraction

10. Ethical Standards

This policy adheres to:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines

  • International standards for responsible legal research and publishing

11. Policy Review and Updates

Journal of Lex et Justitia reserves the right to update this policy to reflect developments in legal research practices, data governance, and publication ethics.