About LADS

Latin American Data in Science (LADS) is a multidisciplinary, open-access scholarly journal published electronically, online, under a continuous publication (rolling) model. LADS aims to disseminate information stored as research datasets so that they can be reused in new studies and help expand collaborative networks across fields.

Aims and scope

LADS is a data-oriented journal. We publish work in which data are a central component of the scientific contribution, with emphasis on documentation, transparency, and reuse. We accept submissions in Portuguese, English, and Spanish and adopt double-blind peer review.

Mission

  • To publish Data Papers and data-driven scientific articles derived from research in any area of knowledge.

  • To increase the reuse of previously collected data, enabling new research and new publications.

  • To foster connections among researchers from different fields, expanding research and innovation networks.

What we publish

We publish primarily Data Papers and also accept Research Articles, provided that the manuscript is accompanied by a robust dataset, properly documented and made openly available.

  • Editorials: editorials written by the Editor-in-Chief or invited authors.

  • Data Papers (primary format): manuscripts whose main purpose is to describe a dataset and its documentation (metadata), rather than relying on the conventional research-article structure centered on hypotheses, results, and conclusions.

  • Research Articles (with mandatory data sharing): manuscripts presenting scientific objectives and findings, conditional upon the availability of a robust, well-documented dataset (ready for reuse).

Mandatory data policy

Every submission must be associated with a robust and accessible dataset that is openly available:

  • as supplementary material within the journal system; and/or

  • deposited in a recognized open repository, with a link/identifier provided in the manuscript and submission metadata.

The dataset must include, at minimum, documentation that enables reuse (e.g., a data dictionary, a README, variable/unit descriptions, and—when applicable—scripts/code). When ethical or legal restrictions apply (e.g., sensitive data), authors must justify the restriction and provide an alternative sharing strategy (e.g., anonymized data, aggregated data, synthetic data, or controlled access when strictly necessary).

Peer-review process

Submissions undergo editorial stages to ensure compliance and quality:

  1. Technical screening (format compliance): verification of template use, required fields, anonymization, and dataset accessibility.

  2. Editorial screening (admission check): assessment of scope fit and the robustness/consistency of the data package.

  3. Merit review (peer review): double-blind evaluation by expert reviewers selected for subject-matter alignment and experience.

LADS strives to conduct the editorial process efficiently while maintaining ethical standards and editorial quality.

Publication frequency

LADS uses a continuous publication model. In practice, accepted manuscripts are published as soon as copyediting and production are completed.

Open access and license

LADS provides free access to its content (PDF), under the principle that unrestricted access to scientific knowledge promotes broader dissemination and use of research.

Articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Authors are solely responsible for the content of published articles. At submission, authors must complete the required declarations and agree to the journal’s publication and open-access terms.

Research ethics and good practices

LADS is committed to recognized standards of scholarly publishing. Unethical practices—including plagiarism and data fabrication/falsification—are not tolerated. By submitting, authors declare that the work is original and that it has not been published or submitted elsewhere.

DOI (Digital Object Identifier)

LADS assigns DOIs to its publications.

Indexing

Information about indexing and directories can be found in the journal’s information pages within the system.

Qualis/CAPES

LADS has not yet undergone CAPES evaluation for Qualis classification.

Publisher

Data in Science Editora LTDA
Ângelo Padovani St., No. 292 — Jardim Dona Wanda
ZIP Code: 37202-750 — Lavras, MG — Brazil
CNPJ: 33.190.194/0001-94