Abstract
<p>In psychoneuroendocrinology (PNE), data is valuable due to its high clinical and health-related relevance and resource-intensive data collection yet sharing it openly alongside publications remains uncommon. If shared, data remain highly fragmented and non-standardized, which hinders data reuse and integration across studies. To address this, we formed a consortium and, as a first step, conducted this study using a modified Delphi approach across two survey rounds to inform about important considerations regarding data structure, metadata, subject-level variables, and implementation requirements before a data standard for PNE may be developed. The panel in the final round consisted of 50 responders from the field of PNE. In two online survey rounds, respondents rated their agreement with 84 statements anonymously on a 5-point Likert scale. Consensus (&gt; 70% [dis]agreement) was achieved for 80 items. The results highlight a broad agreement within the PNE community on the need for, and key components of, a standardized data structure, including a balance between flexibility and standardization to allow for adaptability across many use cases as well as comparability. Developing and establishing a standard for PNE data will be a central next step to foster transparency, sustainable use of resources, and the translational potential of our work.</p>