Research Data Ethics

Identifying and protecting stakeholders

Your research stakeholders will determine which data is sensitive and needs protecting beyond legal requirements. For example, farmers will not want you to share data on their farm's soil as they consider it sensitive information. To honor this, locations are often omitted from soil data taken from farms. You should take time to identify your research stakeholders and discuss and address their concerns to ensure data collection, analysis, and sharing will not not cause them harm.

Research stakeholders may include:

Those conducting the research (you, your team, students, external partners, etc.)
The institution(s) funding the research (the university, government agencies, industry, etc.)
Research subjects (people, animals, plants, places, and even things)
Community members and members of your research community

Discuss with stakeholders:

What data can be collected
How it will be used for research
How the data will be managed securely and safely
What data can be shared, in what form, and with whom

Sharing sensitive data

Sensitive information needs to be protected or removed from data before it is shared. If sensitive information cannot be removed from the data set access should be brokered through a controlled access repository or through a data transfer and use agreement (DTUA)

Removing, obscuring, or masking sensitive information in data sets is vital for sharing research results. Which technique you use will vary based on the data type, sample size, and sensitivity of the information.

Biohazard research

If the data set includes information about Select Agents or Toxins, all location information must be removed prior to sharing the data. The Office of Research Ethics is responsible for the oversight of Iowa State University's Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) which ensures compliance with guidelines and regulations on these research subjects.

Controlled access repositories

Depositing data in a controlled access data repository may be a solution for sharing sensitive data as access usually requires an approved application and/or a signed data transfer use agreement.

Search re3data for repositories with restricted data access or contact the library's research data services team at datashare@iastate.edu for assistance.

Data transfer and use agreements

Data Transfer and Use Agreements (DTUA) are a mechanism to limit how others may use data. It establishes parameters for the data recipient’s use based upon applicable restrictions, legal and compliance requirements, and ;other applicable policy or legal requirements.

Learn more about data transfer and use agreements.

Threatened or endangered species research

If the data set includes information about threatened or endangered species, all location information must be removed prior to sharing the data.

Location information for species that are not threatened or endangered should also be evaluated for removal or generalization in order to protect local populations and biodiversity.

The Office of Research Ethics is responsible for the oversight of Iowa State University's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) which ensures compliance with guidelines and regulations on animal research subjects.