Legal, Ethical and Privacy Issues Affecting Data Sharing among Ontario's Higher Education Institutions in Interinstitutional Collaboration

Legal, privacy and ethical concerns impacted data sharing among post-secondary institutions in academic collaboration in Ontario. The legal/ethical environment was embodied by FIPPA (Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy) legislation, Research Ethics Board protocols and Institutional Acts enacted by the provincial parliament. Collectively, they placed limitations on how and what data was shared; as well as the volume, types, frequency and use of the data exchanged. The 'Data Sharing in Academic Collaborations and Pathways' study categorized the data exchanged into two broad categories, namely: a) data sharing for administration; and b) data sharing for research and planning. The legal/ ethical environment also impacted the attitudes of staff within the six academic institutions who participated in the 'study.' And Communication Privacy Management theory offered some explanation for the behaviours and attitudes that were observed.