The appropriate management of personal information is a major ethical issue in the research world. Although jurisdictions vary on their legislation regarding privacy and research, many universities and other organizations devote considerable corporate governance resources toward advancing policies integrating appropriate use of subject data with project needs. An additional issue is the utilization of research data for secondary research purposes.
Another ethical issue debated when developing governance policies for research is conflict of interest guidelines. Many research sponsoring and hosting organizations develop and maintain policies regarding this topic. The policy specifics vary depending on the nature of the research and the role of the organization, but conflict of interest declaration is a key issue in research governance.
As technology and society advance, there will be new ethical considerations for research teams. Strong corporate decision making, based on knowledge-based best practices in the relevant industry, will provide governance teams with opportunities for informed decision making.
Varying levels of governance affect research ethics, including policies and procedures at the organizational level and legislation at the state and federal level. The Belmont Report (1979) is a major ethical statement providing guidance related to research in the United States and is the basis for U.S. federal research protections.