Common use of Data Sharing Agreement Clause in Contracts

Data Sharing Agreement. A Data Sharing Agreement is identified as a promising practice mechanism for building and participating in an effective research partnership (▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇, 2009). A data sharing agreement should supplement and not supplant an overall data management plan. However if both are completed, they will share several elements. Developing a data sharing agreement is about relationship building, trust building, good communication, compromise, long term planning and finding ways to openly and safely share and maximize the use of the hard earned data from a research partnership. It is about determining culturally and ethically appropriate ways to disseminate the data, meeting funding requirements, improving health outcomes, and adding to the body of scientific knowledge. These are not small tasks, and there are many tools available for partnerships that want to embark on this process. Successful data sharing agreements in community-academic partnerships have three main elements: 1) strong partnership with clear communication; 2) clear process; and 3) well- developed content. The following are best practice recommendations in each of these elements for developing a data sharing agreement.