Open Access Policy | Colombia Medica

DATA AVAILABILITY

1. Introduction

Colombia Médica requires authors to make all data necessary to replicate the results of their studies publicly available without restrictions at the time of publication. If legal or ethical restrictions prevent public sharing of a dataset, authors must indicate how others can access it.

During the submission process, authors must provide a Data Availability Statement describing compliance with the Universidad del Valle’s data policy. If the manuscript is accepted, this statement will be published alongside the article.

The journal promotes data sharing as a cornerstone of scientific progress, enabling:

Validation, replication, new analyses, or inclusion in meta-analyses.
Reproducibility of research.
Archiving and preservation of data, maximizing the value of research investment.
Reducing administrative burden for authors in managing data access requests.
Increased visibility and recognition for authors, data producers, and data stewards.

Compliance with this policy is mandatory. If data access restrictions arise after publication, Colombia Médica reserves the right to issue a correction, an editorial expression of concern, contact the authors’ institutions or funders, or retract the article in extreme cases.

2. Definition of the Minimum Dataset

Authors must share the “minimum dataset,” defined as the data necessary to replicate all study results, along with related metadata and methods. This includes:

Values used to calculate measures such as means and standard deviations.
Data used to construct figures and graphs.
Points extracted from images for analysis.

Sharing raw data is not required if processed data meets the standards of the field. Data must be deposited in public repositories or included in the manuscript. References to “data not shown” are not allowed.

3. Acceptable Methods for Data Sharing

3.1 Data Repository Deposition
Data should preferably be deposited in public repositories specific to the field of study or interdisciplinary in nature. Repositories must ensure long-term preservation and accessibility. The Data Availability Statement must include the repository name and persistent identifier (DOI or equivalent).

3.2 Data Citation
Data deposited in repositories must be cited in the reference list following DataCite recommendations and the journal’s style. This ensures data is recognized as an independent research product.

3.3 Data in Supplementary Files
If data is not deposited in repositories, it may be included in supplementary files, provided they are in standard formats that facilitate access and reuse. Files must adhere to FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).

4. Data Management Plans (DMPs)

Authors should prepare DMPs before starting their research, particularly if required by funders. DMPs should detail data collection, storage, analysis, and disposition.

5. Acceptable Data Access Restrictions

Restrictions are permitted when laws, ethical standards, or agreements with third parties prevent open access. Authors must detail such restrictions in their Data Availability Statement and provide information to facilitate data access whenever possible.

5.1 Sensitive and Human Data
For sensitive or human participant data, privacy must be ensured through anonymization or encryption. Authors must provide details about restrictions and an institutional contact point for data access requests.

5.2 Other Sensitive Data
Data such as the location of archaeological sites or endangered species may also be restricted. Authors must comply with applicable laws and field-specific guidelines.

6. Unacceptable Data Access Restrictions

Manuscripts with inaccessible data for reasons such as the following will not be accepted: