Exchange of secondary data in research with human beings: Ethical aspects

Abstract

Introduction: currently, there is a call from the scientific community for a responsible exchange of data, being relevant to promote innovation in research through the reuse of secondary data. However, the data exchange is not free of difficulties since it imposes relevant ethical challenges. On the other hand, the data exchange is also limited by legislative aspects of each country in terms of data privacy; for example, the Chilean legal system is presented. Objective: to identify the ethical aspects of exchanging secondary data in research with human beings. Methods: integrative review. Data sources: WoS, PUBMED, Scopus, and publications were searched between 2017 and 2022. Results: the final sample consisted of 12 articles, and they were organized according to ethical aspects, concerns of the research subject, and the researcher’s position in the exchange of data in research with human beings. Discussion: the creation of a Data Access Committee (DAC) and an international ethical framework are initiatives that are promoted to advance the exchange of data in research with humans. However, the legal frameworks become relevant in the context of data protection in each country, as is the Chilean case. Conclusion: progress must be made in aspects of broad informed consent, which is directly related to the legal framework of each country. © 2023; Los autores.