The role of an ethics advisory committee in data science research in sub-Saharan Africa

Significance: Data science research involves large volumes of data, often derived from unconventional sources. Given the complex nature of big data research, there is a strong need for the development of ethically appropriate protocols that are sensitive to the complexities of data science and data sources. While reviews of health research by research ethics committees are necessary from an ethical and legal perspective, complementary advisory committees such as ethics advisory committees could be established to advise on ethics challenges more broadly. In this Perspective, we describe a multidisciplinary ethics advisory committee linked to a data science research hub in sub-Saharan Africa.