Transparency & Spatial Data (aaag-transparency-and-data)
The Annals (Taylor & Francis, for the AAG) follows publisher and disciplinary norms for data
availability and research integrity rather than (as at some journals) a mandatory, editor-run
replication check before publication. The right posture is: document spatial-data provenance
thoroughly, share what you ethically can, and protect location privacy. Confirm the current data-
availability / sharing policy on the Taylor & Francis journal page (检索于 2026-06；以官网为准).
When to trigger
- Preparing data documentation, a data-availability statement, or supplementary materials
- Deciding what spatial data can be shared given geoprivacy, IRB, license, or proprietary limits
- Documenting qualitative or restricted location data so claims remain credible
- A reviewer asked how others could verify or reproduce the spatial analysis
Spatial-data provenance (the geography-specific core)
Document enough that another geographer could locate, re-project, and rebuild the dataset:
- Sources & licenses for every layer (census, satellite, OSM, administrative, field-collected),
with access dates and terms.
- Projection / CRS and any re-projection; areal units and how they were defined or aggregated.
- Processing chain — classification, geocoding, spatial joins, resampling, filtering — as a logged,
ordered pipeline, not "cleaned in GIS."
- Temporal alignment — vintages of layers and how they were harmonized.
Geoprivacy & human subjects (overrides sharing)
- Do not publish precise locations of identifiable individuals/households; use geographic masking
(aggregation, jittering, areal reporting) and state the method.
- IRB/consent for interviews, fieldwork, and participatory mapping; protect informant and site identity.
- Sensitive sites (sacred, endangered-species, conflict) may require deliberate spatial coarsening — say so.
Reproducibility (good practice even without a pre-publication gate)
- Master script regenerates every table, figure, and map from raw/constructed data.
- README/codebook: provenance, projections, construction steps, and how to reproduce each exhibit.
- Seeds set for stochastic steps; software/package versions pinned (
renv.lock / requirements.txt).
- Restricted data: a data-availability statement explaining what is shared, what is not and why,
and an access path; provide synthetic/masked data so code can run where feasible.
Transparency posture by data type (geography-specific)
Because the Annals spans four areas, the availability expectation lands differently on different
evidence. This grid keeps the posture honest; confirm mechanics against the current T&F policy.
| Data type |
Typically shareable |
Restricted |
Provenance to document |
| Public geospatial (census, OSM) |
data + code |
none |
source, vintage, CRS, join keys |
| Satellite / DEM |
processing code + IDs |
bulk imagery (host link instead) |
sensor, dates, correction, resolution |
| Field GPS of people/sites |
masked/aggregated data |
exact coordinates |
masking method, IRB, consent |
| Interviews / ethnography |
coding scheme |
identifiable transcripts/locations |
anonymization, composite-disclosure note |
| Proprietary/licensed layers |
code + access path |
the layer itself |
license terms, how to obtain |
Checklist
Anti-patterns
- "Data cleaned in GIS" with no provenance, CRS, or processing log
- Publishing exact coordinates of vulnerable people or sensitive sites
- Claiming open data that license or geoprivacy will not permit
- Asserting an editor-verified replication mandate the policy does not state
- Un-seeded, unpinned code that "works on my machine"
Output format
【Provenance】sources + licenses + CRS + processing log documented? [Y/N]
【Geoprivacy】masking/aggregation for identifiable locations? [Y/N/NA]
【Human subjects】IRB/consent handled? [Y/N/NA]
【Reproducibility】master script + README + seeds + versions? [Y/N]
【Data-availability statement】shared / restricted (why) / access path / synthetic?
【Policy check】current T&F data policy confirmed? [Y/N/待核实]
【Next】aaag-review-process
Supplementary resources
1---2name: aaag-transparency-and-data3description: Use when handling data documentation, sharing, and spatial-data ethics for an Annals of the American Association of Geographers manuscript — provenance (sources, projections, processing), reproducibility, and geoprivacy / human-subjects protection. Prepares documentation; it does not over-state a verification gate the policy does not impose.4---56# Transparency & Spatial Data (aaag-transparency-and-data)78The Annals (Taylor & Francis, for the AAG) follows publisher and disciplinary norms for **data9availability and research integrity** rather than (as at some journals) a mandatory, editor-run10replication check before publication. The right posture is: **document spatial-data provenance11thoroughly, share what you ethically can, and protect location privacy.** Confirm the current data-12availability / sharing policy on the Taylor & Francis journal page (检索于 2026-06；以官网为准).1314## When to trigger1516- Preparing data documentation, a data-availability statement, or supplementary materials17- Deciding what spatial data can be shared given geoprivacy, IRB, license, or proprietary limits18- Documenting qualitative or restricted location data so claims remain credible19- A reviewer asked how others could verify or reproduce the spatial analysis2021## Spatial-data provenance (the geography-specific core)2223Document enough that another geographer could locate, re-project, and rebuild the dataset:2425- **Sources & licenses** for every layer (census, satellite, OSM, administrative, field-collected),26 with access dates and terms.27- **Projection / CRS** and any re-projection; **areal units** and how they were defined or aggregated.28- **Processing chain** — classification, geocoding, spatial joins, resampling, filtering — as a logged,29 ordered pipeline, not "cleaned in GIS."30- **Temporal alignment** — vintages of layers and how they were harmonized.3132## Geoprivacy & human subjects (overrides sharing)3334- **Do not publish precise locations** of identifiable individuals/households; use geographic masking35 (aggregation, jittering, areal reporting) and state the method.36- IRB/consent for interviews, fieldwork, and participatory mapping; protect informant and site identity.37- Sensitive sites (sacred, endangered-species, conflict) may require deliberate spatial coarsening — say so.3839## Reproducibility (good practice even without a pre-publication gate)4041- **Master script** regenerates every table, figure, and map from raw/constructed data.42- **README/codebook**: provenance, projections, construction steps, and how to reproduce each exhibit.43- **Seeds** set for stochastic steps; software/package **versions pinned** (`renv.lock` / `requirements.txt`).44- Restricted data: a **data-availability statement** explaining what is shared, what is not and why,45 and an **access path**; provide **synthetic/masked data** so code can run where feasible.4647## Transparency posture by data type (geography-specific)4849Because the Annals spans four areas, the *availability* expectation lands differently on different50evidence. This grid keeps the posture honest; confirm mechanics against the current T&F policy.5152| Data type | Typically shareable | Restricted | Provenance to document |53|-----------|---------------------|------------|------------------------|54| Public geospatial (census, OSM) | data + code | none | source, vintage, CRS, join keys |55| Satellite / DEM | processing code + IDs | bulk imagery (host link instead) | sensor, dates, correction, resolution |56| Field GPS of people/sites | masked/aggregated data | exact coordinates | masking method, IRB, consent |57| Interviews / ethnography | coding scheme | identifiable transcripts/locations | anonymization, composite-disclosure note |58| Proprietary/licensed layers | code + access path | the layer itself | license terms, how to obtain |5960## Checklist6162- [ ] Every layer's source, license, access date, and CRS documented63- [ ] Processing pipeline logged (classification/geocoding/joins/resampling)64- [ ] Geoprivacy handled — masking method stated for identifiable locations65- [ ] IRB/consent documented for human-subjects and field/participatory work66- [ ] Master script + README + seeds + pinned versions (where quantitative)67- [ ] Data-availability statement drafted; access path / synthetic data for restricted layers68- [ ] Current T&F data policy confirmed (do not assert a gate it does not impose)6970## Anti-patterns7172- "Data cleaned in GIS" with no provenance, CRS, or processing log73- Publishing exact coordinates of vulnerable people or sensitive sites74- Claiming open data that license or geoprivacy will not permit75- Asserting an editor-verified replication mandate the policy does not state76- Un-seeded, unpinned code that "works on my machine"7778## Output format7980```81【Provenance】sources + licenses + CRS + processing log documented? [Y/N]82【Geoprivacy】masking/aggregation for identifiable locations? [Y/N/NA]83【Human subjects】IRB/consent handled? [Y/N/NA]84【Reproducibility】master script + README + seeds + versions? [Y/N]85【Data-availability statement】shared / restricted (why) / access path / synthetic?86【Policy check】current T&F data policy confirmed? [Y/N/待核实]87【Next】aaag-review-process88```8990## Supplementary resources9192- [`../../resources/external_tools.md`](../../resources/external_tools.md) — reproducibility tooling, repositories, and geomasking options93- [`../../resources/official-source-map.md`](../../resources/official-source-map.md) — T&F data-availability and AAG ethics references
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