Research data policy
BMC strongly encourages that all datasets on which the conclusions of the paper rely should be available to readers, and where there is a community established norm for data sharing, BMC mandates data deposition. To aid authors, Springer Nature provides a list of recommended public repositories organised by subject area.
All authors must include an “Availability of Data and Materials” section in their manuscript detailing where the data supporting their findings can be found. Authors are also required to cite publicly available datasets in their reference lists.
Please see our Editorial Policies page for more information on our research data policy.
BMC’s research data policy is compatible with the standardised research data policies of Springer Nature.
Research data helpdesk
Authors seeking advice related to data deposition, finding an appropriate repository or compliance with journal or fund data policies should contact the Research Data Helpdesk, a free advice service operated by the Springer Nature Research Data Team. Find out more and contact the Helpdesk.
Research data publishing at Springer Nature
All authors are encouraged to publish peer-reviewed data papers, which describe their publicly available datasets. Scientific Data and BMC Research Notes are two of Springer Nature’s open access, online-only journals that publish descriptions of scientifically valuable datasets. Find further information on our research data publishing page.
Research data community
Springer Nature manages a freely available online community of advocates and experts in sharing of research data. It is a place to interact with other researchers, read the latest information on research data from the community members and Springer Nature.