Evaluating the prevalence and application of data sharing statements in high-impact ophthalmology journals

There is a growing burden that highlights the need for ophthalmology research to improve treatment outcomes and patient care. By promoting transparency, reproducibility, and collaboration, Data Sharing Statements (DSS) provide a formal declaration of whether and how data can be accessed, reused, or shared, ensuring that research findings can be validated. This study examines the prevalence, content, and implementation of DSS in ophthalmology journals from 2018 to 2023.

A comprehensive literature search in MEDLINE (PubMed) was conducted to evaluate clinical studies published in ten leading ophthalmology journals between January 1, 2018, and December 14, 2023. Data extraction was conducted via a standardized form in a masked, duplicate fashion. A hierarchical logistic regression was used to assess factors with potential influence on DSS inclusion. A qualitative analysis was performed to identify common themes in DSS.

Of the 1385 articles analyzed, 326 (23.54%) included a DSS, with notable variability in DSS inclusion between journals. The British Journal of Ophthalmology had the highest DSS rate (152/228, 66.67%), while Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science had the lowest (4/103, 3.88%). Clinical trials were the most observed study design; however, DSS rates were low (183/667; 27%). Factors including study design, impact factor, funding type, and article access did not significantly influence DSS inclusion. The most common DSS themes were Conditional Data Availability (199/302, 65.89%) and Gatekeeper Role (87/302, 28.81%).

Implementing stronger mandates and adopting standardized data-sharing policies could address barriers to data-sharing practices, improving transparency and reproducibility in ophthalmology research.