Responsible, practical genomic data sharing that accelerates research

Data sharing anchors reproducible science, but expectations and best practices are often nebulous. Communities of funders, researchers and publishers continue to grapple with what should be required or encouraged. To illuminate the rationales for sharing data, the technical challenges and the social and cultural challenges, we consider the stakeholders in the scientific enterprise. In biomedical research, participants are key among those stakeholders. Ethical sharing requires considering both the value of research efforts and the privacy costs for participants. We discuss current best practices for various types of genomic data, as well as opportunities to promote ethical data sharing that accelerates science by aligning incentives. Data sharing can maximize the benefit and reach of genomics research. However, sharing must occur in a responsible manner, particularly when there are privacy risks to human participants. In this Review, the authors discuss the principles of data sharing, strategies for assessing and mitigating privacy risks, as well as practical guidelines for researchers and wider stakeholders.