Research Data & Reproducibility Policy

Last Updated: 5 March 2026

This Research Data and Reproducibility Policy outlines the expectations regarding research data transparency and reproducibility for scholarly works published by Inkbound Publishers (“Inkbound”, “we”, “us”, or “our”), accessible at https://inkbound.org (the “Website”).

Inkbound Publishers was previously known as The Law Brigade (Book) Publisher, and the current publishing platform continues the academic publishing activities formerly carried out under that name. References to “Inkbound”, “we”, “us”, or “our” in this policy refer to the publisher operating the Website and its associated publishing services.

Inkbound recognizes the importance of transparency and reproducibility in scholarly research. Making research data available, where appropriate, supports the verification of findings, encourages responsible research practices, and contributes to the advancement of knowledge.

This policy applies to authors submitting scholarly works including monographs, edited book chapters, and conference proceedings papers.

1. Principles of Research Transparency

Inkbound encourages authors to ensure that their research findings are presented in a manner that allows other researchers to understand, evaluate, and, where possible, reproduce the results.

Authors are encouraged to:

clearly describe research methodologies and analytical procedures
provide sufficient detail to allow independent verification of results
maintain appropriate documentation of data sources and research methods

Transparent reporting of research methods strengthens the reliability and credibility of scholarly work.

2. Research Data Availability

Where feasible and appropriate, authors are encouraged to make the underlying data supporting their research findings available to the academic community.

Research data may include:

datasets used for analysis
statistical or computational models
experimental results
survey data or observational records
supplementary materials related to the research

Providing access to such materials may help improve reproducibility and facilitate further research.

3. Data Availability Statements

Authors may include a data availability statement within their manuscript indicating how and where supporting research data may be accessed.

Examples may include:

publicly available datasets deposited in a repository
data available upon reasonable request from the authors
restrictions on data sharing due to ethical, legal, or confidentiality considerations

The inclusion of such statements helps inform readers about the accessibility of research data.

4. Data Repositories

Where authors choose to share research data publicly, it is recommended that data be deposited in recognized repositories or institutional data archives.

Examples of commonly used research data repositories include:

Zenodo
Figshare
Dryad

Authors may also use institutional repositories or discipline-specific archives where appropriate.

Inkbound does not operate its own data repository and does not host research datasets directly.

5. Ethical and Legal Considerations

In certain cases, research data cannot be shared publicly due to ethical, legal, or confidentiality considerations.

Examples may include:

personal or sensitive data relating to individuals
confidential institutional or corporate data
data subject to legal or contractual restrictions

Where such limitations apply, authors should clearly state the reason for the restriction in the manuscript.

6. Responsibility of Authors

Authors remain responsible for ensuring the integrity, accuracy, and authenticity of the research data supporting their work.

Authors should:

retain original data and supporting materials for a reasonable period after publication
provide clarification or additional information if questions arise regarding the research findings
cooperate with editorial inquiries relating to data integrity where necessary.

7. Reproducibility Expectations

Where applicable, authors should provide sufficient methodological detail to allow other researchers to replicate or reproduce the study.

This may include:

detailed descriptions of experimental procedures
explanations of analytical methods or algorithms used
references to software tools or computational environments used in the research.

The level of reproducibility expected may vary depending on the discipline and type of research presented.

8. Editorial Review of Data Integrity

During the editorial and peer review process, editors or reviewers may raise questions regarding the transparency or reproducibility of the research presented.

Authors may be asked to provide clarification or additional information regarding:

research methods
data sources
analytical procedures.

Failure to provide reasonable clarification where required may affect the editorial evaluation of the manuscript.

9. Post-Publication Data Concerns

If credible concerns arise regarding the reliability or integrity of the data underlying a published work, Inkbound may investigate the matter in accordance with its Publication Ethics & Malpractice Statement and Corrections, Retractions & Post-Publication Updates Policy.

Where appropriate, corrective actions such as clarifications, corrections, or retractions may be issued.

10. Policy Updates

Inkbound may update this Research Data & Reproducibility Policy periodically to reflect evolving research practices and standards.

Updated versions will be published on the Website with a revised “Last Updated” date.

Contact

Questions regarding research data transparency or reproducibility expectations may be directed to:

Email: editor@inkbound.org