Supplementary Tables
Additional tables, extended data summaries, coding sheets, statistical output and supporting tabular information that help readers understand the research without overloading the main article.
Author Guidelines and Research Transparency
Supplementary Materials Guidelines
UnivColl Publications provides these guidelines to help authors prepare, submit and maintain supplementary files, datasets, appendices, figures, tables, multimedia, code and supporting information in a clear, ethical and transparent manner.
Data Clarity
Readable supporting files
Ethical Sharing
Privacy and permissions
Peer Review Support
Evidence for assessment
Metadata Ready
DOI and repository links
Record Integrity
Transparent updates
Purpose of this Guideline
Supporting Research Evidence Without Compromising Integrity
Supplementary materials are files that support a manuscript but are not placed fully inside the main article. They may help readers understand the method, verify evidence, inspect additional data, reproduce analysis or access extended instruments and appendices.
These guidelines apply to journals, edited volumes, books, book chapters, proceedings and other scholarly publications managed or supported by UnivColl Publications. Supplementary materials should strengthen transparency, not replace essential explanation in the main article.
Editorial Position
Supplementary material is part of the scholarly record.
Files submitted as supplementary materials may be checked, reviewed, cited, linked, corrected or removed according to editorial, ethical, legal, technical and publication integrity requirements. Authors remain responsible for the accuracy, permissions and ethical status of all submitted material.
What May Be Submitted
Common Types of Supplementary Materials
Authors should submit only those files that genuinely support the article, improve understanding, document methods or help responsible reuse of research information.
Supplementary Figures
Additional diagrams, images, charts, maps, plates, infographics or visual evidence that support the manuscript and are clearly cited in the main text.
Appendices and Instruments
Questionnaires, interview schedules, observation checklists, scoring rubrics, case forms, teaching modules, consent templates or extended methodological material.
Datasets and Code
Research datasets, data dictionaries, analysis scripts, source code, software notes, reproducibility files and repository links used to support the findings.
Multimedia Files
Audio, video, animation, demonstration files, simulation clips or multimedia evidence where relevant to the article and permitted by ethical and copyright rules.
Extended References or Protocols
Extended protocols, reporting checklists, supplementary bibliographies, methodological notes and additional documentation required for clarity or reproducibility.
File Format Standards
Accepted File Types and Technical Preparation
Supplementary files should be stable, readable, accessible and suitable for editorial handling. Authors should avoid unnecessary file size, unsafe formats and documents that cannot be opened without proprietary restrictions.
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Text and appendix files: PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF or TXT
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Tables and spreadsheets: XLS, XLSX, CSV or ODS
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Figures and images: JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIFF or SVG where suitable
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Presentations or teaching material: PPT, PPTX or PDF
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Audio and video: MP3, WAV, MP4 or MOV, subject to file-size and ethical review
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Code and scripts: TXT, R, PY, IPYNB, JS, PHP, ZIP or repository link where appropriate
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Datasets: CSV, XLSX, JSON, XML, SAV, DTA, TXT or repository link
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Compressed folders: ZIP only when multiple related files must remain together
Ethical and Safety Limits
Materials That Should Not Be Submitted
Supplementary files must not expose private identity, violate copyright, create security risk, mislead readers or bypass editorial and ethical standards.
The publisher may decline, remove, replace or request revision of any supplementary material that is incomplete, unsafe, unsupported, unethical or unsuitable for publication.
- ! Files containing personally identifiable information without consent, anonymisation or lawful ethical approval
- ! Images, scans, patient records, student records, interview recordings or field materials that expose private identity without permission
- ! Files that include copyrighted third-party content without permission, licence, fair-use explanation or proper attribution
- ! Malware, executable files, hidden scripts, corrupted files, password-protected archives or unsafe file formats
- ! Unverified promotional material, advertisements, institutional publicity, unrelated certificates or non-research documents
- ! Files that contradict the article, manipulate evidence, hide selective reporting or create misleading interpretation
- ! Large raw datasets where a reliable repository link would be more appropriate than direct website upload
- ! Files submitted only for ranking, indexing, citation manipulation or artificial expansion of the article record
Author Responsibilities
What Authors Must Confirm Before Submission
Supplementary materials are not a casual upload. They require the same level of academic care, research integrity and publication responsibility as the main manuscript.
Accuracy and Relevance
Authors must ensure that every supplementary file is accurate, relevant to the manuscript and clearly connected with the article text, figures, tables, methods or findings.
Ethical Permission
Authors are responsible for consent, ethical approval, anonymisation and lawful use of data, images, recordings, questionnaires and any sensitive research material.
Copyright and Licensing
Authors must confirm that they own the material or have permission to publish it, and that licence terms are compatible with open access publication.
File Quality
Files should be complete, readable, virus-free, clearly named and submitted in a stable format that can be opened by editors, reviewers and readers.
Naming and Description
How to Label Supplementary Files
Clear file naming helps editors, reviewers, production teams, readers and indexing systems understand what each file contains and how it relates to the article.
Recommended naming examples
Supplementary_Table_1.csv
Supplementary_Figure_2.png
Appendix_A_Questionnaire.pdf
Dataset_1_Anonymised_Responses.xlsx
Code_File_1_AnalysisScript.py
- ✓ Use short and meaningful file names, for example: Supplementary_Table_1.csv or Appendix_A_Questionnaire.pdf
- ✓ Avoid special characters, excessive spaces, emojis and unclear names such as final-new-latest2.docx
- ✓ Number files in the order in which they are cited in the manuscript
- ✓ Mention each supplementary item in the main article text using a consistent label
- ✓ Provide a short title and description for each supplementary item
- ✓ State whether the file is for peer review only, publication with the article or repository linking
- ✓ Use the same terminology in the manuscript, cover letter and supplementary file list
- ✓ Remove personal information from filenames, document properties and hidden metadata where privacy is required
Editorial Workflow
Supplementary Material Review and Publication Process
Supplementary materials may pass through administrative screening, editorial assessment, peer review, revision, production check and post-publication maintenance where applicable.
Submission with Manuscript
Authors submit supplementary materials along with the manuscript, cover letter and any required declarations. Each file should be identified and briefly described.
Administrative Screening
The editorial office may check file readability, relevance, naming, privacy risk, copyright concern and whether the material should be reviewed, revised or removed.
Editorial and Peer Review
Where relevant, supplementary materials may be shared with reviewers so they can assess methodology, evidence, reproducibility and consistency with the main article.
Revision and Clarification
Authors may be asked to revise, relabel, reduce, anonymise, replace or better document supplementary files during revision.
Production Check
Accepted supplementary files may be checked for final labels, captions, file format, accessibility, copyright statements, repository URLs and article-page linking.
Publication and Record Maintenance
Approved materials may be linked from the article page, cited in the article, reflected in metadata where applicable and maintained as part of the scholarly record.
Data Ethics and Privacy
Sensitive Data Must Be Handled Carefully
Authors must protect participants, institutions, communities and third parties when submitting supplementary datasets, images, recordings, field notes, case material or other supporting files. When public sharing is not possible, authors should explain the restriction clearly and responsibly.
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Human participants: remove direct identifiers and disclose consent/ethics approval where required.
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Children, patients, students, employees or vulnerable groups: apply heightened privacy and consent safeguards.
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Images and recordings: publish only when permission, anonymisation or ethical justification is available.
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Indigenous, community or culturally sensitive data: respect community permissions and data-sharing restrictions.
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Clinical, legal, defence, school or institutional records: avoid uploading restricted or confidential material unless lawful and approved.
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AI-generated or AI-assisted materials: disclose use where relevant and ensure that such materials do not misrepresent evidence.
Repository, DOI and Metadata Linking
Make Supplementary Materials Findable and Traceable
Supplementary materials should be connected with the article record through clear labels, stable links, article metadata and data availability statements. Where external repositories are used, authors should provide persistent identifiers whenever available.
The publisher may link supplementary materials from the article page, include file information in internal records, and maintain correction or update information when required by scholarly record integrity.
- ✓ Supplementary materials should be clearly linked with the article title, author names, journal, DOI, volume, issue, year and article URL where applicable.
- ✓ Repository-hosted data should include a stable URL, DOI, accession number or persistent identifier wherever available.
- ✓ Data availability statements should describe where data can be accessed, what restrictions apply and who may request access if public sharing is not possible.
- ✓ The article page should distinguish the Version of Record from supplementary files, datasets, appendices and external repository items.
- ✓ If supplementary material is corrected after publication, the publisher may update the file, add a note, issue a correction or update DOI-related metadata where applicable.
- ✓ Supplementary material should not be used to hide essential results that are necessary for evaluating the main article.
Author Checklist
Ask About Files
Before You Upload Supplementary Materials
Use this checklist before manuscript submission or revision to reduce delay and avoid avoidable production, ethics or metadata problems.
All supplementary files are cited in the manuscript text in correct order
Each file has a clear title, number, caption and short description
The file format is accessible and appropriate for long-term reading
Personal identifiers, hidden metadata and sensitive information have been removed where required
Copyright, permission and third-party licence issues have been checked
Data availability and repository details are provided, if applicable
The corresponding author confirms that all co-authors approve submission of the supplementary material
The supplementary material does not contain fabricated, manipulated, redundant or misleading content
The files match the conclusions, methods, tables and figures of the manuscript
Any restrictions on sharing are clearly explained in the manuscript or cover letter
Post-Publication Updates
Corrections, Replacement and Record Updates
Supplementary files may become part of the public record. Any correction, replacement, removal or update must be handled with transparency and appropriate editorial oversight.
Minor File Correction
Minor typographical or formatting corrections in supplementary files may be considered when they do not alter the research conclusions or evidence.
Replacement or Removal
A supplementary file may be replaced or removed only when there is a valid reason, such as privacy risk, copyright concern, technical error or verified production mistake.
Formal Correction Notice
If the change affects interpretation, reliability, ethical approval, data availability or the Version of Record, a formal correction notice may be required.
Repository or DOI Update
Where the supplementary material is connected with a DOI, repository record or article metadata, the publisher may update the relevant links or metadata records.
Transparency Notice
No Indexing Guarantee. No Misleading File Claims.
Acceptance or posting of supplementary material does not guarantee indexing, citation increase, ranking benefit, database inclusion or immediate visibility in third-party search systems. Supplementary materials must be accurate, lawful, ethical and directly relevant to the published work.
Editorial Independence
Supplementary Files Do Not Replace Peer Review
APC payment, waiver, discount, repository deposit, supplementary file upload or technical formatting does not influence editorial decision-making. Decisions are made according to scholarly merit, peer review, journal scope, ethics and editorial standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Supplementary Materials FAQ
Answers to common author questions about file submission, peer review, repository links, data sharing, copyright and post-publication updates.
Are supplementary materials always peer reviewed?
Supplementary materials may be reviewed when they are necessary for evaluating the research, methodology, data, evidence or interpretation. The level of review may depend on the article type and journal policy.
Can I submit supplementary files after acceptance?
Authors should submit supplementary materials as early as possible. Post-acceptance additions may be considered only when they are necessary, approved by the editor and compatible with the production workflow.
Can raw data be uploaded directly to the publisher website?
Small and appropriate files may be considered, but large datasets or discipline-specific data should preferably be deposited in a trusted repository and linked through a stable URL, DOI or accession number.
Can supplementary material be corrected after publication?
Yes, but the correction must be transparent. Depending on the issue, the publisher may update the file, add a note, issue a correction notice or update related metadata.
Do supplementary materials receive a separate DOI?
Not always. Supplementary materials may be linked to the article DOI or hosted in a repository that provides its own DOI or persistent identifier. This depends on the journal and publication workflow.
Can copyrighted images or instruments be included?
Only when the author has permission, licence rights, public-domain status or a valid lawful basis for reuse. Proper acknowledgement must be provided.
Resource Pathway
Continue from Supplementary Materials Guidelines to the right publishing support route
This resource page is connected with the wider UnivColl Publications ecosystem so that authors, editors, reviewers, institutions, readers and conference organizers can move from guidance to official action without confusion.
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Related RouteSubmit Manuscript
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Author Support
Resource guidance is intended to help users prepare complete, accurate and policy-aware submissions.
Publication Ethics
Guidance is aligned with transparent scholarly publishing practice and responsible communication.
Metadata Ready
Users are encouraged to provide clear titles, identifiers, author details, references and supporting files.
No Guarantee Claims
Use of resources does not guarantee acceptance, indexing, DOI registration, citation, ranking or third-party database listing.
Responsible References
Use official scholarly identifiers and policy references carefully
External references are provided for general scholarly context. Third-party organizations independently control their own standards, services, records and platforms. UnivColl Publications does not claim automatic indexing, membership, endorsement or database inclusion.