  The debate on data access and privacy is an ongoing one. It is kept alive by
the never-ending changes/upgrades in (i) the shape of the data collected (in
terms of size, diversity, sensitivity and quality), (ii) the laws governing
data sharing, (iii) the amount of free public data available on individuals
(social media, blogs, population-based databases, etc.), as well as (iv) the
available privacy enhancing technologies. This paper identifies current
directions, challenges and best practices in constructing a clinical
data-sharing framework for research purposes. Specifically, we create a
taxonomy for the framework, identify the design choices available within each
taxon, and demonstrate thew choices using current legal frameworks. The purpose
is to devise best practices for the implementation of an effective, safe and
transparent research access framework.
