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Co-submission to Data in Brief and MethodsX
Last updated on May 27, 2025What is a co-submission?
As an author, you are encouraged to publish a description of your research data, methods, or protocols related to your regular article as a co-submission article in Data in Brief or MethodsX.
This co-submission can be submitted at the same time as your regular manuscript submission to the majority of our journals.
If both the regular and co-submitted manuscripts are accepted for publication, they will be linked together on ScienceDirect.
Data in Brief or MethodsX are part of our Elsevier Research Elements portfolio - a suite of open access journals focused on objects such as data, methods, software, and hardware that contribute to open science and reproducibility by making research objects findable, accessible, and reusable.
Publishing an article on your research object maximizes the impact of your research by giving colleagues the opportunity to download and cite your work, helping them solve complex problems and recording your contribution in their scientific article.
- Describe the research data, methods or protocols in a separate manuscript to be considered for publication in Data in Brief or MethodsX.
- Download and use one of the below mandatory submission templates for your manuscript. Note that submissions can only be processed when submitted as a Word file.
- Data article template (Data in Brief)
- Methods article template (MethodsX)
- Protocol article template (MethodsX)
At the ‘Attach Files’ step during the submission process of your regular manuscript in Editorial Manager, please select Item Type ‘Co-submission to Data in Brief’ or ‘Co-submission to MethodsX’ from the ‘Select Item Type’ dropdown menu as shown below to upload your co-submission.
- Once you have completed the submission process, your co-submission will be automatically transferred to the Data in Brief or MethodsX submission site. There, your co-submission will be submitted on your behalf for further handling and peer review. This includes seamless transfer of your author details associated with the co-submission.
- For associated open access Article Processing Charges (APC), please visit the MethodsX and Data in Brief journal homepages. You will be presented with a personalized APC based on your individual context (your country, institutional affiliation, and any society membership for example) after your manuscript has been accepted at Data in Brief or MethodsX.
Watch this video on how to submit a co-submission for further details.
Rejection of your regular manuscript
In case your regular manuscript is rejected, and your co-submission manuscript is accepted, your Data in Brief or MethodsX article will be published as a standalone article.
In case your regular manuscript is rejected, and you wish to withdraw your Data in Brief or MethodsX co-submission, please reach out to the team directly for further guidance:
- Data in Brief: [email protected]
- MethodsX: [email protected]
Co-submission not ready for submission
In case your co-submission is not ready for submission, you can submit your co-submission separately after you have submitted your regular manuscript directly to the Data in Brief or MethodsX submission sites (Data in Brief and MethodsX).
When doing so, clearly state to what regular manuscript your co-submission should be linked to by providing the manuscript number in the Data in Brief or MethodsX submission templates under 'Related Research Article'.
For any questions or support queries, reach out to:
- MethodsX: [email protected]
- Data in Brief: [email protected]
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