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The ethics of data utilisation: a comparison between epidemiology and journalism
1Department of Social Medicine, Akademiska Sjukhuset, Uppsala, Sweden.
BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.)
|February 19, 1994
Summary
European data privacy laws hinder epidemiologists but not journalists. While both professions serve public good through inquiry, society tolerates journalistic privacy intrusions more than epidemiological research, impacting public health data collection.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Bioethics
Background:
- European data collection regulations significantly impede epidemiological research.
- Journalism faces fewer restrictions on data collection in European countries.
- Both professions share societal values of inquiry and open society benefits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the impact of European data protection laws on epidemiological data collection.
- To compare the societal tolerance for privacy intrusions by journalists versus epidemiologists.
- To highlight the disparity in professional freedoms impacting public health research.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of legal frameworks governing data collection for journalism and epidemiology in Europe.
- Examination of societal attitudes towards privacy in the context of public good served by both professions.
Main Results:
- Epidemiologists face substantial legal barriers to data collection, unlike journalists.
- Society demonstrates greater acceptance of privacy infringements by journalism than by epidemiology.
- This difference in tolerance negatively affects the practice of epidemiology and its contribution to public health.
Conclusions:
- Stricter data protection laws in Europe disproportionately burden epidemiological research.
- A societal double standard exists regarding privacy in journalism and epidemiology.
- Re-evaluation of data access for public health research is crucial to balance privacy with public good.
Keywords:
Biomedical and Behavioral Research