1. Purpose and Scope
Strojniški vestnik – Journal of Mechanical Engineering (SV-JME) is committed to promoting transparency, reproducibility, and long-term usability of published research. These instructions define the journal’s expectations regarding the management, sharing, and citation of research data associated with submitted and published manuscripts. This policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to SV-JME that are based on empirical, experimental, computational, or observational research.
2. Definition of Research Data
Research data refer to all data generated, collected, or processed in the course of research and necessary to validate the results presented in the manuscript. This may include, but is not limited to:
- Experimental measurements and test results.
- Simulation and numerical model outputs.
- Source code and scripts used for data processing or analysis.
- Images, videos, and audio files.
- Tables, datasets, and metadata.
Data that are not essential for the validation of results (e.g., preliminary analyses or personal notes) are not required to be shared.
3. Data Availability
Authors are expected to make the research data underlying their publications openly available (under the licences CC BY or CC BY-SA) whenever possible. Data should be accessible in a manner that enables verification and reuse by other researchers.
If data cannot be shared openly, authors must clearly state the reasons (e.g., confidentiality agreements, legal restrictions, personal data protection, or intellectual property constraints).
4. Data Repositories
Research data should be deposited in a trusted, publicly accessible repository appropriate to the discipline of mechanical engineering. Examples include:
- Institutional repositories.
- General-purpose repositories (e.g., Zenodo, Mendeley Data, Figshare).
- Domain-specific repositories relevant to mechanical engineering or related fields.
Repositories should provide persistent identifiers (such as DOI, HANDLE) and ensure long-term preservation and access.
5. Data Formats and Documentation
Authors should provide data in open, standard, and non-proprietary formats whenever possible. Data must be accompanied by sufficient documentation (metadata, README files, or data descriptors) to enable understanding and reuse by others. Documentation should include:
- Description of the dataset and its purpose.
- Explanation of variables, units, and symbols.
- Information on data collection or generation methods.
- Software, tools, or versions required to access or process the data.
6. Data Availability Statement
All manuscripts must include a Data Availability Statement. This statement should specify:
- Where the data can be accessed (repository name and persistent identifier), or
- Conditions under which the data are available, or
- Reasons why the data are not publicly available.
The Data Availability Statement will be published as part of the article. See more in Article Template.
Examples of Data Availability Statements
Authors may use one of the standard formulations below or adapt them as appropriate.
Open research data. “The research data supporting the findings of this study are openly available in the [name of repository] at [DOI or persistent URL].”
Restricted access to data. “The research data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request due to [state reason, e.g., intellectual property protection or contractual obligations].”
Data not publicly available. “The research data are not publicly available due to [state reason, e.g., confidentiality, legal restrictions, or protection of personal data].”
Data included in the article. “All relevant data are included within the article and/or its supplementary materials.”
Partially available data. (optional, advanced case) “Some of the research data are available in the [name of repository] at [DOI], while other data are not publicly available due to [state reason].”
7. Data Citation
Research data used or generated in the study must be properly cited in the reference list, in the same way as other scholarly outputs. Data citations should include:
- Author(s).
- Title of the dataset.
- Repository name.
- Year of publication.
- Persistent identifier (e.g., DOI).
Proper data citation ensures credit to data creators and supports data traceability.
Example:
[XX] Surname, N., Surname, N., Surname. N. Dataset: Manuscript title. Repositoy Name (yyyy) DOI:link.
8. Ethical and Legal Considerations
Authors are responsible for ensuring that data sharing complies with ethical standards and legal requirements. This includes:
- Protection of personal and sensitive data.
- Compliance with data protection regulations.
- Respect for intellectual property rights and third-party licenses.
SV-JME encourages research data management in accordance with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and with open science guidelines and those of relevant institutions (e.g. the European Commission (link)). Where necessary, data should be anonymized or access-restricted.
9. Peer Review and Data Access
During peer review, editors or reviewers may request access to underlying research data to assess the validity of the results. Authors should be prepared to provide such access, either through repositories or secure sharing mechanisms.
10. Responsibilities
Authors are responsible for:
- Proper management and documentation of research data.
- Ensuring data availability in accordance with this policy.
- Accuracy and completeness of the Data Availability Statement.
Editors and reviewers will assess compliance with this policy as part of the editorial process.
SV-JME reserves the right to update this Research Data Management Policy in line with developments in best practices, legal requirements, and open science principles. For more information regarding research data management, please contact: info@sv-jme.eu.
