Science Editing

Original Articles

Factors influencing authors’ intention to continue publishing in data journals: a cross-sectional survey: Seungeun Lee, Jihyun Kim; Sci Ed. 2025;12(2):183-189. Published online August 7, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.383

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Abstract PDF Supplementary Material: Purpose
This study investigated the factors influencing data paper authors’ continuance intention to publish in data journals, drawing on the post-acceptance model and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. Based on these theoretical frameworks, four factors—perceived usefulness, satisfaction, effort expectancy, and social influence—were hypothesized to be associated with authors’ continuance intention.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an online questionnaire distributed to authors who had published in eight data journals where data papers constituted more than 20% of all publications. In total, 453 responses were collected, resulting in a 6.2% response rate. Ordered logistic regression analysis was employed to identify significant influencing factors.
Results
The ordered logistic regression analysis indicated that satisfaction and perceived usefulness were positively associated with authors’ continuance intention, while effort expectancy was negatively associated. Among these, satisfaction with a data journal exerted the strongest influence on continuance intention.
Conclusion
These findings underscore the importance for data journal publishers to actively manage authors’ satisfaction throughout the submission and peer review processes. The identification of perceived usefulness as another significant factor suggests that funders and academic institutions should incentivize authors to publish in data journals. Authors who perceived that publishing in a data journal required excessive time were less likely to intend to publish there again. Training in research data management best practices, provided by academic libraries, may help reduce the time burden associated with data preparation and sharing.

Korean researchers’ motivations for publishing in data journals and the usefulness of their data: a qualitative study: Jungyeoun Lee, Jihyun Kim; Sci Ed. 2021;8(2):145-152. Published online August 20, 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.246

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3 Web of Science
3 Crossref

Purpose
This study investigated the usefulness and limitations of data journals by analyzing motivations for submission, review and publication processes according to researchers with experience publishing in data journals.
Methods
Among 79 data journals indexed in Web of Science, we selected four data journals where data papers accounted for more than 20% of the publication volume and whose corresponding authors belonged to South Korean research institutes. A qualitative analysis was conducted of the subjective experiences of seven corresponding authors who agreed to participate in interviews. To analyze interview transcriptions, clusters were created by restructuring the theme nodes using Nvivo 12.
Results
The most important element of data journals to researchers was their usefulness for obtaining credit for research performance. Since the data in repositories linked to data papers are screened using journals’ review processes, the validity, accuracy, reusability, and reliability of data are ensured. In addition, data journals provide a basis for data sharing using repositories and data-centered follow-up research using citations and offer detailed descriptions of data.
Conclusion
Data journals play a leading role in data-centered research. Data papers are recognized as research achievements through citations in the same way as research papers published in conventional journals, but there was also a perception that it is difficult to attain a similar level of academic recognition with data papers as with research papers. However, researchers highly valued the usefulness of data journals, and data journals should thus be developed into new academic communication channels that enhance data sharing and reuse.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Factors influencing authors’ intention to continue publishing in data journals: a cross-sectional survey
Seungeun Lee, Jihyun Kim
Science Editing.2025; 12(2): 183. CrossRef
Development and validation of the motivation to publish scale-scientific articles (EMP-AC) for Peruvian university students
Oscar Mamani-Benito, Julio Torres-Miranda, Edison Effer Apaza-Tarqui, Madona Tito-Betancur, Wilter C. Morales-García, Josué Edison Turpo-Chaparro
Frontiers in Education.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Korean scholarly journal editors’ and publishers’ attitudes towards journal data sharing policies and data papers (2023): a survey-based descriptive study
Hyun Jun Yi, Youngim Jung, Hyekyong Hwang, Sung-Nam Cho
Science Editing.2023; 10(2): 141. CrossRef

Data journals: types of peer review, review criteria, and editorial committee members’ positions: Sunkyung Seo, Jihyun Kim; Sci Ed. 2020;7(2):130-135. Published online August 20, 2020; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.207

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196 Download
7 Web of Science
6 Crossref

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material

Purpose
This study analyzed the peer review systems, criteria, and editorial committee structures of data journals, aiming to determine the current state of data peer review and to offer suggestions.
Methods
We analyzed peer review systems and criteria for peer review in nine data journals indexed by Web of Science, as well as the positions of the editorial committee members of the journals. Each data journal’s website was initially surveyed, and the editors-in-chief were queried via email about any information not found on the websites. The peer review criteria of the journals were analyzed in terms of data quality, metadata quality, and general quality.
Results
Seven of the nine data journals adopted single-blind and open review peer review methods. The remaining two implemented modified models, such as interactive and community review. In the peer review criteria, there was a shared emphasis on the appropriateness of data production methodology and detailed descriptions. The editorial committees of the journals tended to have subject editors or subject advisory boards, while a few journals included positions with the responsibility of evaluating the technical quality of data.
Conclusion
Creating a community of subject experts and securing various editorial positions for peer review are necessary for data journals to achieve data quality assurance and to promote reuse. New practices will emerge in terms of data peer review models, criteria, and editorial positions, and further research needs to be conducted.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

What Are Journals and Reviewers Concerned About in Data Papers? Evidence From Journal Guidelines and Review Reports
Xinyu Wang, Lei Xu
Learned Publishing.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Peer review of data papers: Does it achieve expectations for facilitating data sharing and reuse?
Chenyue Jiao, Peter T. Darch
Journal of Information Science.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Unleashing the power of AI in science-key considerations for materials data preparation
Yongchao Lu, Hong Wang, Lanting Zhang, Ning Yu, Siqi Shi, Hang Su
Scientific Data.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Dissemination effect of data papers on scientific datasets
Hong Jiao, Yuhong Qiu, Xiaowei Ma, Bo Yang
Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology.2024; 75(2): 115. CrossRef
The data paper as a sociolinguistic epistemic object: A content analysis on the rhetorical moves used in data paper abstracts
Kai Li, Chenyue Jiao
Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology.2022; 73(6): 834. CrossRef
Korean researchers’ motivations for publishing in data journals and the usefulness of their data: a qualitative study
Jungyeoun Lee, Jihyun Kim
Science Editing.2021; 8(2): 145. CrossRef

An analysis of data paper templates and guidelines: types of contextual information described by data journals: Jihyun Kim; Sci Ed. 2020;7(1):16-23. Published online February 20, 2020; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.185

11,354 View
253 Download
14 Web of Science
16 Crossref

Abstract PDF

Purpose
Data papers are a promising genre of scholarly communication, in which research data are described, shared, and published. Rich documentation of data, including adequate contextual information, enhances the potential of data reuse. This study investigated the extent to which the components of data papers specified by journals represented the types of contextual information necessary for data reuse.
Methods
A content analysis of 15 data paper templates/guidelines from 24 data journals indexed by the Web of Science was performed. A coding scheme was developed based on previous studies, consisting of four categories: general data set properties, data production information, repository information, and reuse information.
Results
Only a few types of contextual information were commonly requested by the journals. Except data format information and file names, general data set properties were specified less often than other categories of contextual information. Researchers were frequently asked to provide data production information, such as information on the data collection, data producer, and related project. Repository information focused on data identifiers, while information about repository reputation and curation practices was rarely requested. Reuse information mostly involved advice on the reuse of data and terms of use.
Conclusion
These findings imply that data journals should provide a more standardized set of data paper components to inform reusers of relevant contextual information in a consistent manner. Information about repository reputation and curation could also be provided by data journals to complement the repository information provided by the authors of data papers and to help researchers evaluate the reusability of data.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Curated Editorial Infrastructures: Balancing Rigor And Reach With Generative AI
Diego Alexander Quevedo Piratova
Journal of Leadership Studies.2026;[Epub] CrossRef
On the Readiness of Scientific Data Papers for a Fair and Transparent Use in Machine Learning
Joan Giner-Miguelez, Abel Gómez, Jordi Cabot
Scientific Data.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Defining geosciences research data through metadata reuse:
Alexandre Ribas Semeler, Luana Farias Sales, Adilson Luiz Pinto, Roberta Pereira da Silva de Paula, Valquer Cleyton Paes Gandra , Heloisa Costa
Biblios Journal of Librarianship and Information Science.2025; (87): e009. CrossRef
What Are Journals and Reviewers Concerned About in Data Papers? Evidence From Journal Guidelines and Review Reports
Xinyu Wang, Lei Xu
Learned Publishing.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Peer review of data papers: Does it achieve expectations for facilitating data sharing and reuse?
Chenyue Jiao, Peter T. Darch
Journal of Information Science.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Dissemination effect of data papers on scientific datasets
Hong Jiao, Yuhong Qiu, Xiaowei Ma, Bo Yang
Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology.2024; 75(2): 115. CrossRef
Spectral Library of Plant Species from Montesinho Natural Park in Portugal
Isabel Pôças, Cátia Rodrigues de Almeida, Salvador Arenas-Castro, João C. Campos, Nuno Garcia, João Alírio, Neftalí Sillero, Ana C. Teodoro
Data.2024; 9(5): 65. CrossRef
Korean scholarly journal editors’ and publishers’ attitudes towards journal data sharing policies and data papers (2023): a survey-based descriptive study
Hyun Jun Yi, Youngim Jung, Hyekyong Hwang, Sung-Nam Cho
Science Editing.2023; 10(2): 141. CrossRef
The data paper as a sociolinguistic epistemic object: A content analysis on the rhetorical moves used in data paper abstracts
Kai Li, Chenyue Jiao
Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology.2022; 73(6): 834. CrossRef
A Preliminary Analysis of Geography of Collaboration in Data Papers by S&T Capacity Index
Pei‐Ying Chen, Kai Li, Chenyue Jiao
Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology.2022; 59(1): 642. CrossRef
Taxonomy 2.0: computer-aided identification tools to assist Antarctic biologists in the field and in the laboratory
Thomas Saucède, Marc Eléaume, Quentin Jossart, Camille Moreau, Rachel Downey, Narissa Bax, Chester Sands, Borja Mercado, Cyril Gallut, Régine Vignes-Lebbe
Antarctic Science.2021; 33(1): 39. CrossRef
Korean researchers’ motivations for publishing in data journals and the usefulness of their data: a qualitative study
Jungyeoun Lee, Jihyun Kim
Science Editing.2021; 8(2): 145. CrossRef
Document Network and Conceptual and Social Structures of Clinical Endoscopy from 2015 to July 2021 Based on the Web of Science Core Collection: A Bibliometric Study
Sun Huh
Clinical Endoscopy.2021; 54(5): 641. CrossRef
A Survey of Exclusively Data Journals and How They Are Indexed by Scientific Databases
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Three-stage publishing to support evidence-based management practice
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WPOM-Working Papers on Operations Management.2021; 12(2): 56. CrossRef
The role of the data paper in scholarly communication
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