Jhr replication and data policy

Replication & Data Policy (jhr-replication-and-data-policy)

When to trigger

• The paper is being prepared for JHR submission or acceptance
• You need the archive-plan footnote, Data Availability Statement, or waiver
• Data are restricted, proprietary, administrative, or RCT-based

JHR policy core

JHR's data policy is unusually concrete: accepted papers must preserve data and post replication materials in a well-curated public repository where possible, with a public-domain CC0 1.0 Universal license. At submission, include an archive plan footnote with a persistent link if available, or request a waiver at initial submission.

Package contents

• Data files that can legally be shared
• Code and models needed to reproduce all tables and figures
• Read-me file explaining the sequence
• Data Availability Statement on the title page
• Restricted-data access instructions or waiver justification
• For RCTs: pre-analysis plan registration and deviations

Acceptance-stage replication gate

Do not wait until conditional acceptance to discover that the archive cannot be built. Run this gate before initial submission and again when the paper enters revision.

Gate	Pass condition	Blocker to surface early
Exhibit inventory	Every main-text and appendix table/figure maps to one script and one input dataset	Hand-built table, untracked spreadsheet edit, or private intermediate file
Data rights	Each dataset is classified public, restricted, proprietary, confidential, or author-generated	No redistribution right or unclear crosswalk ownership
Repository plan	Public repository path, DOI plan, CC0 posture, and embargo/waiver status recorded	Deposit location or license undecided
Code portability	A clean clone runs from raw/public inputs or approved restricted mount points	Absolute paths, local user directories, hidden credentials
Reviewer audit trail	Read-me explains what a referee can reproduce now and what requires restricted access	DAS promises more than the archive can deliver

Waiver logic

Request a waiver at initial submission when data cannot be publicly deposited. State how other researchers can obtain the data and commit to provide reasonable guidance.

Waiver evidence test

A waiver is not a reason to ship a thin package. Before asking for one, prepare evidence that the non-public data barrier is real and that the reproducibility route remains usable.

Question	Strong answer	Weak answer
Why can the data not be posted?	Contract, statute, IRB term, license, or agency rule named in plain language	"Confidential" without a source
How can another researcher apply?	Agency/vendor/contact path, application steps, and expected constraints	"Contact the authors" only
What can still be checked?	Code, dictionary, synthetic data, logs, exhibit map, and public-source rebuild scripts	PDF tables only
What does the DAS say?	Same access route and limits as the footnote and read-me	DAS, footnote, and read-me disagree

Restricted-data package

When the data cannot be public, still prepare:

• synthetic or public-use data that exercises every script path when possible;
• data dictionary with variable construction and source tables;
• access instructions, application links, and approval constraints;
• log showing which outputs require restricted data;
• archive-plan footnote explaining the waiver and reproducibility route.

Deposit decisions by data source

Data source	What can usually be deposited	Waiver posture
Public-use surveys (CPS, ACS, NLSY, PSID extracts)	Extraction code plus the analysis file, or code that rebuilds it from raw downloads	Rarely needed; check redistribution terms of each survey
State administrative records (UI wages, K-12, Medicaid)	Code, codebooks, aggregate exhibits; microdata stays with the agency	Waiver expected; document the access route precisely
Own RCT microdata	De-identified analysis files under CC0 where consent and IRB allow	Partial waiver for identifying fields; PAP registration stated
Proprietary/commercial data	Code, pseudo-data, purchase or license instructions	Waiver with a named acquisition path
Linked or matched files	Each source assessed separately; the crosswalk is often the binding constraint	Mixed: deposit what is public, waiver the link keys

Repository choice and licensing details evolve — confirm against the journal's current author guidelines before depositing.

Exhibit-to-script map

The read-me should include a compact manifest. This is the fastest way to catch irreproducible tables before upload.

Exhibit	Output file	Producing script	Data requirement	Notes
Table 1	tables/table1_balance.tex	03_tables/table1_balance.do	public-use extract	Rebuilds from raw survey download
Figure 2	figures/event_study.pdf	04_figures/event_study.R	restricted admin file	Runs only on approved secure machine
Appendix Table A4	tables/a4_placebo.tex	05_appendix/placebo.py	synthetic test + restricted file	Synthetic version verifies code path

Use the actual filenames from the project. If an exhibit has no producing script, treat that as a package defect, not a documentation detail.

Worked waiver scenario: UI wage records

Illustrative case: earnings outcomes come from one state's unemployment-insurance wage records under a data-use agreement that bars any microdata release.

1. Footnote at submission: names the agency, the agreement, and states that code, codebooks, and a synthetic test file will be archived under CC0.
2. The read-me lists the application steps and typical approval constraints a replicator faces, and which exhibits need the restricted extract.
3. Every script runs against the synthetic file end-to-end so reviewers can verify logic without the data.
4. The Data Availability Statement mirrors the footnote — the two must not drift apart between submission and acceptance.

Read-me skeleton for the JHR archive

README
  1. Data sources & access (public files included; restricted: how to apply)
  2. Software & versions (Stata/R/Python; packages pinned)
  3. Run order: 00_master -> 01_clean -> 02_analysis -> 03_exhibits
  4. Runtime & hardware notes; random seeds fixed where used
  5. Exhibit map: each table/figure -> producing script -> data requirement
  6. License: CC0 1.0 Universal (data and code deposited)

Pre-acceptance dry run

• Clone the package to a clean directory and run it without manual edits.
• Confirm every main-text and appendix exhibit regenerates byte-stable or with documented stochastic variation.
• Check that no intermediate file under a restrictive license leaks into the deposit.
• Compare the archive footnote, Data Availability Statement, waiver request, read-me, and repository landing page for identical access claims.
• Save the run log and unresolved exceptions in the project archive before acceptance, so the team can fix blockers before production deadlines.

Output format

[Data status] public / restricted / proprietary / confidential / mixed
[Archive plan footnote] ...
[DAS] ...
[Waiver needed] yes/no + reason
[Replication gate] exhibit map / data rights / repository plan / code portability / audit trail
[Restricted-data route] public deposit / partial waiver / full waiver + access path
[Dry-run result] clean / stochastic differences documented / blocked
[RCT PAP status] ...
[Next step] jhr-submission