Advancing science through data sharing: a new data policy for Molecular Omics

Scientific breakthroughs are rarely achieved in isolation. In the age of data-driven scientific research, collaboration, transparency, and the sharing of research data are fundamental for accelerating discovery and ensuring the integrity of scientific findings. Within the scientific community there is a steady move towards open science and data, with perhaps one of the most well-known initiatives being the FAIR data principles, which aim to improve the F̲indability, A̲ccessibility, I̲nteroperability and R̲euse of data.† These principles provide a framework for making research data more open and accessible, enabling their full potential to be realized. With the exponential growth of -omics technologies, it is imperative to ensure that valuable datasets are shared for the benefit of the wider scientific community.

To this end, we are pleased to announce a new data policy for the journal Molecular Omics, which will take effect for all submissions from 1st September 2023. The new policy will require authors to make their proteomic, metabolomic, genomic and sequencing data freely accessible in repositories upon publication of their article. By openly sharing their proteomic, metabolomic, genomic and sequencing data, researchers not only foster scientific collaboration but also enable the broader scientific community to validate and build upon their work. An appropriate Data Availability Statement will be required for all submitted manuscripts and will be published as part of any articles accepted for publication. These changes will enhance the transparency, reproducibility and robustness of scientific findings published in Molecular Omics.

The adoption of this new policy will have several positive implications for the Molecular Omics community. Firstly, it will enhance the scientific impact of published articles by enabling researchers to build upon and validate previous work. Secondly, it will facilitate the exploration of new research questions by allowing the reuse of existing datasets. Thirdly, it will encourage open scientific dialogue and collaboration, fostering a culture of transparency and integrity. It will also enable authors publishing in Molecular Omics to adhere to requirements set by out by their funders in an easy-to-follow process facilitated by the Royal Society of Chemistry's editorial team. Authors will be asked upon submission whether their article contains any proteomic, metabolomic, genomic or sequencing data. If so, authors will be asked to ensure that their raw data is available in a publicly accessible repository. Details of how to access the data must be provided in the Data Availability Statement. Submissions which fail to comply with this guidance following contact from the RSC's editorial team will not be considered further. If necessary, data can be embargoed during peer review, but accession numbers must be provided to enable access by editors and reviewers and data must be made publicly available if the manuscript is accepted. Full details of the new policy, including suggested repositories, can be found on the Molecular Omics journal homepage.‡

The new policy mandating authors to make their proteomic, metabolomic, genomic and sequencing data publicly accessible in repositories upon publication in Molecular Omics reflects our commitment to advancing science through open and transparent data sharing. Embracing the FAIR data principles ensures that research data becomes a valuable resource, accelerating scientific progress and benefitting the scientific community. By implementing this policy, we aim to promote collaborative and reproducible research practices, ultimately advancing our understanding of molecular -omics.

Robert Moritz, Editorial Board Chair, Molecular Omics

Rebecca Garton, Executive Editor, Molecular Omics

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Footnotes

† https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/

‡ https://www.rsc.org/journals-books-databases/about-journals/molecular-omics/#data-exp

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