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Responsible Conduct in Research
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 16:08:17
Abstract
When studying at a University, but especially when carrying out a Master’'s or doctoral thesis, students are joining the scientific community and, therefore, have to learn about the codes of professional and responsible conduct in research.
Objective
(1) Students know the questions, conflicts and ethically ambiguous situations that may arise in research. (2) Students can apply codes of responsible conduct in research, i.e., they understand and can apply the professional values and ethical norms of their profession. (3) Students know how to deal with and communicate in ambiguous situations. (4) Students will develop a professional attitude towards responsible conduct in research.
Content
When studying at a University, but especially when carrying out a Master's or a doctoral thesis, students are joining the scientific community and, therefore, have to learn about the codes of professional and responsible conduct in research. In this course, we want to increase the knowledge of our Master's and doctoral students about the specific rules, regulations and guidelines of responsible conduct in their research fields but also rise awareness for potential conflicts of interest and give practical suggestions on how to react in cases of uncertainty on e.g. questions of authorship and giving credits, data treatment and interpretation, communication and responsibility in the public or on the role of graduate students in the research community. Students will discuss case studies with a conflict potential or a dilemma. They will work together in teams, discuss the codes of conduct and values established in the scientists’ community, and apply them to the case studies. The teams have to agree on actions to be taken for each case. Students will deal with case studies on the following topics: (1) Scientific Integrity, Error and Negligence in Science (2) Conflicts in Authorship Practices (3) Questions of Data Treatment (4) Influence of Values on Data Interpretation (5) Social Responsibility of Scientists (e.g. Communication with the public) Student teams will discuss the case studies in role-play scenarios and present their consensus of responsible conduct in research.
Resources
Learning Materials (Links)
- Learning environment
- SkriPS - Responsible Conduct in Scientific Practice
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- BSC , MSC , DR
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- ungraded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| exercise |
Responsible Conduct in Research
Block course
Room: tba
Group work on cases and self study in between.
|
|
10 h semesterly |
Offered In
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Doctorate Environmental Sciences (More Information at: )
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