Open Data Policy

Mental Health Open is committed to transparent and accessible research, ensuring that all underlying data supporting published articles are openly available whenever possible.

Principles of Open Data

Data Accessibility – Authors are encouraged to deposit their research data in trusted repositories and provide open access under a Creative Commons license. We encourage you (but do not limit) to use Zenodo (an open data repository, endorsed by the European Commission).

Reproducibility & Validation – All datasets should include sufficient details to allow replication, verification, and reuse by other researchers.

Ethical & Legal Considerations – Sensitive data, including personal or confidential information, must comply with privacy regulations, GDPR and ethical standards.

Exceptions & Restrictions – If data cannot be openly shared due to privacy, security, or intellectual property concerns, authors must provide a clear justification in their Data Availability Statement.

Data Availability Requirements

Authors must submit a Data Availability Statement outlining where and how their research data can be accessed. If restrictions apply, authors should specify the conditions under which data can be shared or accessed (the use of this option is contingent upon a strong justification). Metadata and supporting materials should be provided to facilitate understanding and reuse.

By embracing open data, Mental Health Open aims to enhance research transparency, foster collaboration, and ensure that scientific findings remain accessible to all.