Medical Ethics and Law Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences – International Association of Islamic Bioethics – Institute for Bioethics and Health Law
The Bioethics Journal considers preservation of the scholarly record, research reproducibility, transparency, and protection of confidential research information essential components of research integrity. The Journal's archiving and data-retention policy covers published content, editorial records, primary research data, analytical materials, and related documentation.
All published articles should be preserved on the Journal's official publishing platform and maintained in a manner that supports long-term access to the scholarly record. Where appropriate, preservation through an independent trusted repository or preservation service is encouraged. Previous versions of corrected, updated, or retracted articles should remain traceable and should clearly indicate when a more recent version or editorial notice exists.
For published manuscripts, the Journal should retain the original submission, revised versions, peer-review reports, editorial correspondence, and records of editorial decisions for at least three years, and longer where required by institutional or legal requirements. All retained editorial records remain confidential and access is restricted to authorized persons.
Authors are responsible for preserving the primary data, processed data, analytical procedures, relevant code, and documentation underlying the published findings for at least 10 years after publication, unless a longer period is required by law, an ethics committee, a research institution, or the nature of the research.
The Journal may request access to relevant data or documentation during peer review or after publication when questions arise concerning the accuracy, integrity, or reproducibility of the published work.
Authors of data-based research should clearly state whether, where, and under what conditions the data supporting the findings are available. Where ethically and legally appropriate, deposition of research data in a recognized repository with a persistent identifier such as a DOI is encouraged.
Manuscripts reporting clinical trials must include an appropriate Data Sharing Statement, specifying what data will be shared, whether related documents will be available, when and for how long the data will be accessible, and the conditions and mechanism for access.
Data-sharing requirements must not override obligations relating to privacy, confidentiality, informed consent, participant protection, or applicable law. Human research data should be appropriately de-identified before public sharing.
Where ethical or legal restrictions prohibit public release—for example, sensitive interview transcripts, clinical records, or data involving vulnerable populations—the Data Availability Statement should explain those restrictions and, where feasible, describe a mechanism for controlled access by qualified researchers.
Research data should be retained in secure environments with safeguards appropriate to their sensitivity. Reasonable measures should be taken to prevent unauthorized access, accidental loss, inappropriate modification, or disclosure. Appropriate backup, access control, and version-management procedures are strongly encouraged.
Corrections and retractions should preserve the integrity of the scholarly record. Earlier versions should remain traceable, with clear notices directing readers to corrected or more recent versions. A retracted article should normally remain in the archive and be prominently identified as retracted rather than being silently removed.