Table 1.

Substantive values relevant to big data contexts

Substantive value	Definition
Harm minimisation	Harm minimisation involves reducing the possibility of real or perceived harms (physical, economic, psychological, emotional, or reputational) to persons.
Integrity	Integrity refers to a feature or property of those acting in accordance with personal and/or accepted scientific and professional values and commitments.
Justice	Justice consists in treating individuals and groups fairly and with respect. This includes the fair distribution of benefits and burdens of data activities (collection, storage, use, linkage, and sharing) and attention to issues of equity.
Liberty/autonomy	Liberty and autonomy are very closely related concepts. For the purpose of this document, we define liberty as the state of not being coerced by physical, legal, or social pressure into action by some outside influence. Autonomy is defined as the capacity of a person or group to be self-determining.
Privacy1	For the purposes of this Framework, privacy refers to controlling access to information about persons. Privacy is valuable because the ability to control access to information about persons promotes certain core interests that we have as individuals and groups. These are wide-ranging but include identity interests and the promotion of human autonomous decision-making, as well as freedom from potential harms such as discrimination and stigmatisation that may arise from our data being disclosed. This control may be exercised directly by individuals to whom the data pertains, or by designated persons, such as data custodians whose decisions aim to promote those core individual and group interests.
Proportionality	Proportionality is a consideration in decision-making that requires that the means are necessary and appropriate in relation to the end that is being pursued, and being cognisant of the competing interests at hand.
Public benefit	Public benefit is the overall good that society as a whole receives from a given project. This includes consideration of effects on wellbeing, distribution, societal cohesion, human rights, and other sources of value to society. It may not be possible to measure these factors by the same standards, so some judgement and critical analysis will be required in determining what is publicly beneficial.
Solidarity	Solidarity is the commitment among persons with recognised morally relevant sameness or similarity to sharing costs and benefits for the good of a group, community, nation, or global population.
Stewardship	Stewardship reflects a relationship with things, such as data, to promote twin objectives of taking care of the object of attention as well as seeking actively to promote its value and utility. It involves guiding others with prudence and care across one or more endeavours—without which there is risk of impairment or harm—and with a view to collective betterment.

¹Confidentiality should be considered alongside any privacy consideration, where relevant. The obligation to protect and promote the non-disclosure of information imparted in a relationship of trust lies at the core of the concept of confidentiality