What is the CITI Program's stance on using research data for secondary analysis?

The stance of the CITI Program on using research data for secondary analysis emphasizes that ethical considerations must still apply even if the data has already been collected and is being used in a new context. This principle maintains that researcher responsibilities toward participant protection and ethical standards do not diminish when data is analyzed for purposes other than those for which it was originally collected.

This means that researchers must ensure that secondary use of data does not infringe upon the privacy and confidentiality of the data subjects, and they must consider whether the original informed consent captured covers the new analyses. Even if the data is de-identified or aggregated, ethical considerations regarding respect for persons and beneficence must still guide how researchers handle and analyze this data. This approach underscores the importance of ongoing ethical oversight in research practices.

While informed consent and participant knowledge are generally crucial, it’s possible that certain secondary data analyses do not require participant re-consent if the initial consent adequately covered these circumstances. However, ethical standards are overarching and ensure accountability in research, thus the emphasis on ethical considerations is paramount.