OBJECTIVES: While advances have been made in development of ethical frameworks for health technology assessment (HTA), there is no clear agreement on the most useful and practical approach to address ethical aspects in HTA. Moreover, uncertainty remains about appropriate scope and level of details of ethical frameworks for HTA.  This study seeks to systematically review the literature to identify existing ethics frameworks for HTA in order to provide an overview of their methodological features and to gain a better understanding of the areas of commonality and divergence between different frameworks. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search of literature, without limits of time and language, to identify the guidance documents or practical frameworks published up to October 1st 2013. RESULTS: The review identified 22 frameworks, varying in their philosophical approach, structure, and comprehensiveness. They were designed for different purposes throughout the HTA process, ranging from helping HTA producers in identification, appraisal and analysis of ethical data to supporting decision-makers in making better informed value-sensitive decisions. They frequently promoted analytical methods that combined normative reflection with descriptive approaches to the analysis of values of stakeholders and other societal or technical actors. CONCLUSIONS: The choice of a method for collection and analysis of ethical data seems to depend on the context in which technology is being assessed, the purpose of analysis, and availability of required resources.