A thorough understanding of ethical and legal issues related to research data is crucial to exercising responsible data management, protecting the rights and privacy of participants, and facilitating the ethical sharing and reuse of data. For example, researchers should ensure the privacy and confidentiality of the collected data, obtain informed consent from data owners, and comply with data protection laws like GDPR.
Data ownership, sharing, and access rights should be addressed while maintaining data integrity and security. Ethical considerations include the prevention of data misuse and ensuring transparency and accountability. Legal issues involve observing/exercising intellectual property rights, compliance with institutional and governmental regulations, and necessitating clear data management policies and agreements.
Copyright and Intellectual Property
| Term / Practice | Definitions and meanings |
| Ownership | Data creators typically hold the copyright and intellectual property rights to their data. This includes the right to control how the data is used, shared, and distributed. |
| Protection | Copyright protects the expression of ideas in a tangible form, such as datasets, publications, and software. It does not protect the underlying ideas or facts themselves. |
| Attribution | Proper attribution must be given to the original creators when using or sharing their data. This ensures that their contributions are recognized and respected. |
| Institutional Policies | Researchers should be aware of their institution's policies regarding data ownership and intellectual property |
License for Reuse
Licensing allows data creators to specify the terms in which their data can be accessed, reused, and distributed. The most commonly adopted licenses are Creative Commons (CC) licenses and Open Data Commons (ODC).
For more detailed information about the Creative Commons licenses, please refer to our Open Access (OA) Libguides.
Highlights of Good Practices
| Area | Practice |
| Informed Consent | Researchers must obtain informed consent from participants, ensuring they understand how their data will be used, stored, and shared. Consent forms should clearly outline these aspects. |
| Privacy and Confidentiality | Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of research participants is paramount. Data should be anonymized or de-identified to prevent the identification of individuals. |
| Data Sensitivity | Special care must be taken when handling sensitive data, such as health information or personal identifiers. Researchers should follow ethical guidelines and legal requirements to safeguard such data. |
For enquiries, please contact the Library's Research Data Management Services of the Research Support and Scholarly Communication Section at lbrdms@cityu.edu.hk
