When you initiate a relationship with a private company to analyse their data, it is important to discuss and agree on a number of matters:
- Are you able to publish research based on analyses of their data? (note that this can be done without sharing their raw data)
- If you publish, to what extent do they require their details to be concealed? (e.g., no disclosure of place, companies, etc.)
- How will authorship of publications work? Does anyone at the company wish to be a co-author? If so, what level of contribution do they need to make and how will this work?
- What if any rights of veto or influence do they have on what can be published? Will you have academic freedom to publish results even if they do not support the company's commercial agenda?
- Are you able to share their data with other researchers or on suitable online repositories?
- Will they give you money or other compensation for analyses you perform or reports you write for them? If so, what are the details?
In general, there are different kinds of partnerships between academia and companies that relate to the analysis of data. Relationships should be formed based on a shared understanding of goals and mutual benefit.