Data ownership and ethics are complex issues that could have books dedicated to discussing the finer details. To get started check out the links below. The resources listed on the Research Data Management page of this guide will also have helpful information on determining data ownership and research data ethics. 

Data ownership can be a complex issue. Determining the owner of data can be important and often rests on institutional policies and the policies of funding bodies. Federally funded grants leave the question of data ownership up to the institution that receives the funds, but funding provided by private funding companies and philanthropic organizations may have different policies on data ownership. 

Source: NECDMC Module 5