Ethical Aspects of Data Sharing and Research Participant Protections

• Published in: The American psychologist Vol. 73; no. 2; pp. 138 - 145
• Main Authors: Ross, Michael W, Iguchi, Martin Y, Panicker, Sangeeta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Psychological Association 01-02-2018
• Subjects: Confidentiality - ethics; Data Sharing; Ethical dilemmas; Ethics; Ethics, Research; Experimental Subjects; Human; Humans; Information Dissemination - ethics; Information sharing; Informed Consent - ethics; Justice; Morality; Open access; Psychology; Psychology - ethics; Research Design; Research ethics; Research Subjects; Respect; Well Being; research participant protections; group harms; data sharing; data access
• ISSN: 0003-066X; 1935-990X
• DOI: 10.1037/amp0000240

Open access is fast becoming the norm across science. Sharing research data broadly has the potential to accelerate scientific progress, optimize the value of data, and promote scientific integrity. However, data sharing also poses new practical and ethical challenges to the conduct of research with human participants. This article provides an overview of how open access to research data has impacted the core principles of research ethics-respect for persons, beneficence, and justice-and, in turn, how a reinterpretation of these principles translates to procedures for the protection of the rights and wellbeing of human research participants.