Continuing education, networks, and literature

Seminars, lectures, and workshops

Faculties, research institutions, professorships, working groups, and the like at Universität Hamburg and the UKE have the opportunity to request good-research-practice information classes or teaching from the Ombuds Office. Details regarding target group, duration, content, and other points can be agreed individually.

Once a semester, the Hamburg Research Academy offers a Spotlight lecture on the topic of good research practice. In addition, workshops are offered in which the practical significance of good research practice for everyday research is taught across subjects. Corresponding courses are posted in the HRA course portal.

Training for doctoral researchers

The Ombuds Office(ombudsstelle"AT"uni-hamburg.de) also offers training on good research practice for doctoral researchers. These courses are based on a curriculum created by the German Research Ombusdman, and are aimed particularly at the University’s graduate schools and research training groups.

Teaching good research practice

In accordance with DFG rules, students from all subjects should be informed about the rules of good research practice and their significance at the beginning of their studies. A curriculum for courses on good research practice has been developed for suitable courses and in-depth training on good research practice in everyday research. It can be used across all subjects and is available to all interested parties for the development and implementation of their own courses.

Curriculum for courses on good research practice

National networking

List of ombudspersons in Germany

A list of ombudspersons at universities and research institutions in Germany can be found on the website of the German Research Ombusdman.

Network of ombuds offices in research

The Netzwerk der Ombudsstellen in der Wissenschaft (Network of ombuds offices in research) brings together various ombuds offices at German universities and research institutions. There are monthly online meetings and an annual in-person event. It is an open network, which means employees of future, newly established ombuds offices or coordination offices for research integrity also have the opportunity to participate.

The participants engage in an intensive exchange of practical experience from the everyday work of their ombuds offices (e.g., anonymizing discussions about cases or dealing with complex queries). In addition, the network published a handout for ombudspersons at university and nonuniversity research institutions (in German only) in 2023.

UniWIND networks

The Ombuds Office is an active member of the following UniWIND (in German only) networks:

The Netzwerk Schlichtung (in German only) (Arbitration network) focuses on exchange and mutual learning with regard to how graduate institutions perceive and visualize their function as a low-threshold contact point and/or arbitration office as well as on the improvement of conflict prevention. There are many overlaps in relation to advice provided as part of ombuds work.

The network Gute wissenschaftliche Praxis vermitteln—Netzwerk für Trainerinnen (in German only) (Communicating good academic practice—network for trainers) is aimed at those who design, implement, and/or are responsible for courses on good research practice.

The Netzwerk gegen Machtmissbrauch in der Wissenschaft (MaWi) (Network against abuse of power in science and scholarship) is a contact point that, on the one hand, aims to create and strengthen awareness of the issue and, on the other, offers those affected independent advising.

International networking

European Network of Research Integrity Offices (ENRIO)

ENRIO was established in 2008 and brings together experts from more than 30 European countries to exchange knowledge and experience on good academic practice and research integrity as well as how to deal with academic misconduct. The ENRIO website provides comprehensive information on existing rules and, where applicable, laws in the countries of its member organizations.

ENRIO also regularly participates in EU-funded research projects on research integrity.

European Network of Ombudsmen in Higher Education (ENOHE)

Created in 2003, ENOHE is a network of ombudspersons that are responsible for student matters. Ombuds work intersects at numerous points in the area of good academic practice; thus exchange is helpful and may also be necessary in specific cases. In addition to representatives from numerous European countries, institutions from North America, South America, and Australia are also active in ENOHE.

World Conferences of Research Integrity (WCRI)

The World Conferences on Research Integrity have been held every 2 to 3 years since 2007. They facilitate the international exchange of experiences and new developments in responsible research, and also regularly issue statements and policy papers on relevant topics:

Singapore Statement on Research Integrity (2010)
Montreal Statement on Research Integrity in Cross-Boundary Research Collaborations (2013)
The Hong Kong Principles for Assessing Researchers: Fostering Research Integrity (2019)
The Cape Town Statement on Fostering Research Integrity through Fairness and Equity (2022)

Find further information on the WCRI website.

Literature and Internet resources on good research practice

Codes, guidelines, statements, organizations, and networks

Authorship and publications

Whistleblowing

Research-data management and documentation

Teaching and training on good research practice

Gommel M, Nolte H and Sponholz G (2015): Teaching Good Scientiﬁc Practice: Results from a Survey and Observations fromTwo Hundred Courses. Journal of Unsolved Questions: 5,2,11–16
Mayer T, Steneck NH (eds. 2012): Promoting Research Integrity in a Global Environment World. Scientific Publishing Co, Singapore.
Nolte, H. (2023): Fortbildung in guter wissenschaftlicher Praxis—Pflicht oder Kür für die Wissenschaft(ler*innen)? Bunsen-Magazin, volume 25, 5/2023 (in German only)
Sponholz, G. (2019): Curriculum für Lehrveranstaltungen zur Guten wissenschaftlichen Praxis.