On Thursday, Facebook announced new guidelines for the research it conducts on its site, with a focus on training employees and a review panel of experts. Education about research practices also will be incorporated into Facebook’s six-week training for new engineers. But outside researchers cited a lack of information on the decision making process for studying users. Facebook did not respond to requests for more information

“Facebook needs to be more transparent about its research methods and ethics, and we didn’t get that today,” said Elizabeth Buchanan, director of the center for applied ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Stout..

Facebook said proposed research would go under an enhanced review process by a panel of employees across the areas of engineering, research, legal, privacy and policy, before research could begin. But the company did not say how it would decide whether any particular type of study should be conducted with users. Nor did Facebook use the word “ethics” in its post on the new guidelines.

The changes were laid out after controversy erupted earlier this year. A 2012 study by Facebook drew criticism when it changed which posts users saw in their feeds based on emotional content. Mike Schroepfer, Facebook’s chief technology officer, said it’s clear now there are things the company should have done differently. Facebook did not say it would use outside independent experts in its review process going forward.

More outside review could help Facebook executives apply new levels of ethical thinking to its studies, bring it the level that’s typically exercised by university-level researchers. But that might also jeopardize Facebook’s business by exposing its algorithms and underlying technology, Buchanan said.