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Guide

Code availability statement: template and examples

Answer six questions in one paragraph, copy a template and adapt it to your journal.

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Six questions, one paragraph

  • Where is the code?

    The repository URL readers can open.

  • Which version?

    A release tag or commit, so readers get the published version.

  • How is it preserved?

    An archived copy with a DOI, cited in the references.

  • Under what license?

    The terms under which others may reuse the code.

  • Is anything restricted?

    The reason, and how to request access.

  • What does it cover?

    All analyses and figures, or which parts.

Templates to adapt

Replace the parts in angle brackets and delete what does not apply.

  1. Public repository, archived release

    Your code is public and the paper version is archived.

    Code availability
    All code used to produce the results in this paper is available at <repository URL> under the <license> license. The version used for this paper (release <v1.0.0>, commit <short hash>) is archived at https://doi.org/<DOI> [<reference>]. The README lists the script behind each figure and table.

  2. Code available on request

    For a concrete legal or ethical reason, named in the statement.

    Code availability
    The analysis code cannot be shared publicly because <specific legal or ethical reason>. It is available to <who may request it> for <permitted purpose> from <contact>, subject to <conditions>. Code not covered by this restriction is available at <repository URL> and archived at https://doi.org/<DOI>.

  3. Controlled-access data

    The data can only be used under controlled access.

    Code availability
    The individual-level data are available under controlled access from <data repository> under accession <accession number>, because <reason>. Access requires <approval process>; requests go to <contact>. The analysis code is available at <repository URL> under the <license> license and archived at https://doi.org/<DOI>. A synthetic dataset with the same structure is available at <URL or DOI>.

Where journals want it

Policy pages checked on September 16, 2026.

Nature Portfolio

A separate “Code availability” section, after the data availability statement.

Best practice: code deposited with a DOI; an open-source license is encouraged.

Reporting standards⁠

Cell Press

The code part of “Data and code availability” under Resource availability.

Original code deposited with a DOI, or in the supplement, before acceptance.

Journal policies⁠

PLOS

The Data Availability Statement.

Expects code behind the findings to be available without restrictions at publication.

Code sharing policy⁠

eLife

The Data Availability statement, including any restrictions on software.

Central new software open source and in a public repository.

Author instructions⁠

GigaScience

The Data availability statement, citing the archived code snapshots.

Code archived with a DOI or similar identifier, open source where practicable.

Editorial policies⁠

Archive the paper version with a DOI

  1. 01

    Tag a release

    Create a GitHub release for the version the paper describes.

  2. 02

    Get a DOI

    Connect Zenodo to GitHub: it archives each new release with a DOI.

  3. 03

    Cite the DOI

    Use the release DOI in the statement and the reference list.

  4. 04

    Add CITATION.cff

    GitHub then shows a “Cite this repository” link.

SourcesGitHub Docs: Referencing and citing content⁠GitHub Docs: About CITATION files⁠

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