GDPR edition

Context

Responsible and ethical sharing of data and code that underlie the results of scientific work is an important step towards improving research transparency, fostering inclusivity and building public trust in science. At the same time, privacy of sensitive personal data, including neuroimaging data, is highly important. Ethical review boards at research institutions are responsible for reviewing a study protocol and deciding whether it can continue based on its adherence to the relevant ethical and research integrity principles, which typically include regulations on personal data privacy. In the European Union, such data privacy requirements are subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as implemented by its member countries. Despite the increased importance that funders and institutions are currently placing on open science practices, no clear, thorough and openly available guides exist for publicly sharing neuroimaging data under the GDPR. Our goal is to share community-contributed templates for consent forms and other documentation required for ethical approval of brain research data processing and sharing under the GDPR.