Good Scientific Practice for Doctoral Candidates

The workshop 'Good Scientific Practice' provides an introduction to the principles of good scientific practice. It is a mandatory component of all doctoral programs. Cooperative doctoral members of the Doctoral School NRW are very welcome.

Good Scientific Practice
Content
Background
Concept
Dates & Registration
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The workshop ‘Good Scientific Practice’ is a mandatory component of all doctoral programs. Participation is recommended during the first year of the doctorate.

External courses may also be recognized, provided they are comparable in quality and scope. Prior consultation with the Doctoral School NRW is recommended.

Cooperative doctoral members of the Doctoral School NRW are very welcome.

The workshop ‘Good Scientific Practice’ is offered several times a year by the Doctoral School NRW as well as in cooperation with the supporting universities of applied sciences.

The workshops take place online or in person and are conducted in German or English.

Participation is restricted exclusively to members.

Content

This workshop provides a basic introduction to the principles of good scientific practice as required by the German Research Foundation (DFG). It focuses on the perspective of doctoral researchers and addresses the following topics:

Introduction to and definitions of good scientific practice
Potential problem areas and fields of conflict
Scientific misconduct, dealing with misconduct, and possible consequences
Scientific data collection and documentation
The publication process, publications, and scientific collaboration
Supervision and organizational culture
Research involving human subjects
Research involving animals
Strategies for preventing and dealing with problems and conflicts in everyday academic life

Background of the Workshop

Following a serious case of research misconduct in Germany, the DFG commissioned an internationally composed committee in 1997, among other tasks, with formulating recommendations on “good scientific practice.” The objectives of this committee were:

To investigate the causes of dishonesty within the academic system
To discuss preventive countermeasures against potential misconduct
To review mechanisms of scientific self-regulation
To formulate recommendations for safeguarding good scientific practice

One outcome of this working group was the memorandum Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice, which, after an initial supplement and update in 2013, was ultimately published in a fully revised version as the Code of Conduct: Guidelines for Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice in July 2019. On the basis of these findings and recommendations, the DFG Ombudsman commissioned a curriculum on “Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice” as early as fall 2008. The first curriculum, developed by Ms. Sponholz in 2009, initially focused on the natural sciences and medicine. Since 2012, a proposed curriculum has also existed for all academic disciplines. In November 2019, a fully updated and revised version of the curriculum was published. The curriculum is intended for institutions that wish to introduce their students and staff to the topic of good scientific practice. The comprehensive courses outlined in the curriculum serve both to prevent conflicts in everyday academic work and to address them when they arise.

Concept

The seminar ‘Good Scientific Practice for Doctoral Researchers’ is based on the above-mentioned curriculum proposal, addresses the overarching DFG teaching and learning objectives, but condenses both training components into an essential six-and-a-half-hour workshop seminar.
The seminar focuses in particular on those DFG guidelines that are of high relevance to doctoral researchers and complements other important elements of the Code through specifically supplementary content, such as international guideline documents and aspects of copyright law.
The main emphasis is on training component 2 of the DFG curriculum, supplemented by background information, for example from research ethics and conflict management. Depending on the disciplinary background, career stage, and areas of responsibility of the participants, the DFG modules are addressed with thematic focus, and individually relevant topics are explored in greater depth as needed. This condensation is achieved through input phases, specific case studies, discussion phases, as well as individual and group work.
References are made to the respective relevant regulations on the principles for safeguarding good scientific practice of the pertinent institutions.

Dates and Registration

The workshop ‘Good Scientific Practice’ is offered several times a year. Registration is only possible within the respective registration periods.

If participation is not possible due to health reasons or another urgent obligation, we kindly ask you to cancel at an early stage by contacting workshops@pknrw.de. This may allow individuals on the waiting list to move up. In cases of unexcused absence or very short-notice cancellation without a valid reason, we reserve the right to give you lower priority in future events.