Research Data Management (Guidelines for Authors)

The journal Acta agriculturae Slovenica supports open access to research data, which constitute a core element of contemporary scientific research.

About research data

Research data are data generated or collected through various methods in order to explore, test or validate hypotheses and to draw scientifically sound conclusions. They may exist in diverse formats, such as field notes, interviews, photographs, transcripts, numerical datasets, software code, and other digital or non-digital materials. If research data are not yet stored in digital form, authors are encouraged to assess whether the material can be digitized in order to support its long-term preservation in a trusted data repository. Data repositories provide storage and access to various kinds of data (e.g. research data, public-sector data) along with their accompanying documentation and metadata.

Open availability of research data increases the transparency, reliability, and reusability of research findings and enhances the potential for data to be used in future studies, thereby improving the value of the original investment in data collection. Data sharing can also support researchers’ professional development by increasing the visibility of their work and enabling new forms of collaboration.

Policy on the mandatory citation of research data

In accordance with the Decree on the implementation of scientific research work in accordance with the principles of open science (the Decree), the journal’s co-funder – the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS) – requires the editorial board to ensure that authors provide open access to the research data that were used in preparing the scientific article prior to publication. Research data must be prepared and deposited in accordance with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable).

Exceptions to open access to research data

If research data cannot be fully shared due to legal, ethical or other justified reasons, authors must clearly explain the reasons for restricted access, either in the article or in the data access statement. Situations of this kind include cases involving the protection of personal data in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), material containing trade secrets or other commercially sensitive information regulated by relevant European or national legislation, or data that may pose security risks. In the natural and environmental sciences, this may also include sensitive information such as precise locations of endangered species, vulnerable habitats or protected natural features whose disclosure could lead to misuse.

In all such cases, the journal follows the principle “as open as possible, as closed as necessary”, as stipulated in the Decree on the Implementation of Scientific Research.

A general statement such as “data available upon request from the corresponding author” is not sufficient.

List of trusted repositories

Authors must publish their research data in trusted data repositories, archives or centres that ensure appropriate access conditions and the long-term preservation of data.

In accordance with Article 5 of the Decree, research data should—wherever possible—be stored in national or international domain-specific data centres. If no suitable domain-specific repository exists for a particular scientific field, the data may be deposited in trusted general-purpose (multi-disciplinary or national) repositories.

The editorial board recommends that researchers take this hierarchy into account when selecting a repository.

Trusted data repositories (both domain-specific and general-purpose) recommended by the journal’s co-funder are listed here. To identify other appropriate repositories, authors may also use international platforms such as https://fairsharing.org or https://www.re3data.org.

When publishing research data, authors should follow Article 7 of the Decree. The use of open licences, such as Creative Commons CC BY or CC BY-SA, or other equivalent licences, is recommended.

When publishing research data in the University of Ljubljana Repository (RUL), authors should follow the instructions available here.

A statement such as “research data are available from the corresponding author upon request” is not sufficient.

Examples of publishing and citing research data – for authors of articles in Acta agriculturae Slovenica

EXAMPLE 1:

Research data for the article published in Acta agriculturae Slovenica, DOI: https://doi.org/10.14720/aas.2025.121.4.23310, published in the Harvard Dataverse Repository: https://dataverse.harvard.edu/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.7910/DVN/BEO42B

Citing published research data in APA style:
Ameri, E. (2025). Replication Data for: Modulation of physiological and yield attributes of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) by silicon dioxide nanoparticles under varying drought stresses (Version V1) [dataset]. Harvard Dataverse. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/BEO42B

EXAMPLE 2:

Research data for the article published in Foods (MDPI): DOI 10.3390/foods12061349,

published in the University of Ljubljana Repository (RUL): 20.500.12556/RUL-155140

Citing published research data in APA style:

Šimkova, K., Veberič, R., Hudina, M., Grohar, M. C., Burin, T., Smrke, T., Pelacci, M., & Jakopič, J. (2024). Variability in ‘Capri’ everbearing strawberry quality during a harvest season: Dataset [Closed scientific research data collection]. University of Ljubljana Repository. https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=slv&id=155140

Citation of research data

Authors must properly cite all data sources used—following the citation guidelines of the repository and the citation style used by Acta agriculturae Slovenica (e.g., APA Style). If data are not digitized or cannot be made publicly available for legal, ethical, or other justified reasons, this must be clearly explained in the data access statement.

A link to the published research data in the repository (via a persistent identifier, e.g., DOI) must be included in the reference list and, where appropriate, also in a footnote in the article.

Responsibilities of authors

Research data that underpin the results presented in the article must be available to reviewers and editors at the time of manuscript submission, and must be publicly accessible no later than upon publication of the article. If data cannot be shared because of legal, ethical, or other legitimate constraints (e.g., personal data protection), this must be clearly justified in the data access statement. In exceptional cases, a time-limited embargo on the data may be permitted, provided it is duly justified.

Authors must ensure that the research data used are properly described, cited, and made accessible in ways that support verification of the research and align with the principles of Open Science.

The editorial board will verify compliance with these requirements during the manuscript evaluation process. If deficiencies are identified, authors will be asked to revise and complete their submission.

Additional information

For further clarification, authors may contact the research data expert at their institution or the editorial office of the journal (acta.agriculturae.slovenica@bf.uni-lj.si), or consult relevant research data support services.

Additional guidance on research data management is available in the Research Data Management Planning Handbook (Slovene language) or at Data management Expert Guide (DMEG).