Unwillingness to provide the underlying data applies to both of "Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska" and “Efficacy of Firearms for Bear Deterrence in Alaska.”
The two papers are uncritically compared to each other to come up with the bogus "bear spray is more effective than firearms in stopping bear attacks" nonsense.
In my opinion, both papers suffer from the common faults of selection bias and confirmation bias.
I have carried a firearm for bear deterrence in Colorado, but never bear spray. My opinion matches yours.