Good research practice requires strict care in the collection and selection of data, clear and comprehensible documentation of all important results as well as openness to criticism and doubts about one's own results.
In 2020 ZB MED elaborated and implemented Guidlines for Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice that contain provisions on defined standards for the quality of the research process, the publication of research results and intellectual property rights. In addition, the regulations specify how to deal with (co-)authorship and scientific misconduct, for example in the form of plagiarism or honorary authorship.
The ZB MED regulations are based on the "Code of Conduct: Guidelines for Safeguarding Good Research Practice" of the German Research Foundation (DFG) of September 2019.
The Code applies to all ZB MED employees working in research and teaching, all students, doctoral candidates and post-doctoral researchers, and also to members of non-scientific staff, provided that they work in scientific fields. All the above-mentioned members and members of ZB MED are obliged to base their scientific work on these regulations to ensure good scientific practice and to actively contribute to the prevention of scientific misconduct.
The ZB MED as an infrastructure and as a place of research and teaching has an institutional responsibility in this respect. The ZB MED is aware of its responsibility to communicate the principles of good scientific practice to students and young scientists and to familiarize them with the techniques of scientific work.
Ombudspersons
As a research-based information centre, ZB MED is particularly concerned to offer scientists an optimal working environment and high-quality framework conditions for research and development. In accordance with the recommendations of the DFG on good scientific practice, an experienced researcher is therefore appointed as ombudsperson. This ombudsperson is available to all ZB MED employees as a person of trust in the event of suspected scientific misconduct and conflicts. In case that the ombudsperson appears to be biased, a substitute will be appointed. In the event of justified suspicion and in serious cases, the management board appoints a commission of at least three experts to investigate the suspected case.
The current ombudsperson of ZB MED is Dr. Thomas Gübitz, the deputy is Prof. Dr. Konrad Förstner.
The Code of Good Scientific Practice at ZB MED (PDF - German only)
Events
ZB MED organises information events including workshops on the topic of Good Research Practice. Exact dates will be announced.
