Good Scientific Practice

What is meant by good scientific practice?

The principles of good scientific practice require that all scientists work "lege artis" (i.e. according to the rules of art).

This includes, among other things:

the correct handling of data,
critical questioning of all results
to avoid and prevent scientific misconduct,
maintaining strict honesty with regard to one's own and third parties' contributions.

What are the different categories of scientific misconduct?

Possible violations of the rules of good scientific practice are manifold. For example, scientific misconduct occurs when deliberately or negligently

Data or sources are invented or falsified,
you compromise or interfere with the research activities of others,
violate intellectual property (e.g., through plagiarism or theft of ideas),
falsely accuse third parties of scientific misconduct,
know about scientific falsification or misconduct and do nothing about it,
neglecting the duty of supervision.

Statutes for Ensuring Good Scientific Practice

TU Dresden has issued the Statutes for Ensuring Good Scientific Practice, Avoiding Scientific Misconduct, and Handling Violations.

All members and staff of TUD are obliged to follow these statutes, to make them the basis of their scientific work and to actively contribute to the avoidance of scientific misconduct within their sphere of activity.

Ombudsperson

The ombudsperson is the contact person, advisor, and mediator in all cases of suspected scientific misconduct. If necessary, he or she will be supported by the Review Board for Scientific Misconduct.

Your report will be treated confidentially. Confidentiality serves to protect the whistleblower as well as the person suspected of misconduct.

The ombudsperson shall maintain a regular exchange with the liaison officers of the faculties, the Review Board for Scientific Misconduct, as well as the other advisory bodies of TUD. Conflict cases that are not related to scientific misconduct can be forwarded confidentially to the responsible offices of TUD (e.g., Personnel Representation Council, conflict mediator of the Graduate Academy, psychosocial counselling, etc.) with the consent of the informant.

If there is reasonable suspicion of academic misconduct in the view of the ombudsperson, this suspicion will be reviewed by the Investigative Committee or, in suspected cases where the misconduct relates to academic examinations (e.g. Bachelor's, Master's, Diploma examinations) or graduations (doctorates, habilitations), by the regular Examination Board provided for in the respective examination and graduation regulations.

Contact

Prof. Dr. Alexander Kemnitz | Ombudsperson

Office for Good Scientific Practice

In cases of suspected scientific misconduct, the Office for Good Scientific Practice supports the ombudsperson, the Investigative Committee, and the regular review boards.

The Office for Good Scientific Practice accepts reports of suspected misconduct confidentially and provides information on possible procedural steps. This shall not affect the right of direct recourse to the ombudsperson or the Investigative Committee.

In cases of suspected scientific misconduct, the Office for Good Scientific Practice offers to check final theses (e.g. Bachelor's, Master's, Diploma examinations) or graduations (doctorates, habilitations) for plagiarism using plagiarism detection software.

Contact

Sigrid Flade

Liaison officer for early-career researchers

Each faculty appoints one female and one male scientist as a liaison officer for early-career researchers.

List of contact details of the faculty liaison officers (download) (in German only)

These liaison officers serve as contact persons that can be easily approached by early-career researchers (especially doctoral candidates). These contact persons can also mediate in problematic situations. If necessary, and only with the consent of the person seeking advice, the contact persons can pass the conflict case on to the ombudsperson.

This shall not affect the right of direct recourse to the ombudsperson.

Subject-specific trainers at TUD

Furthermore, certified contact persons are available in all five Schools, as well as at the cfaed, the CRTD as well as in the Graduate School DIGS-BB. They offer subject-specific GSP workshops for Master students and doctoral candidates.

List of contact details of all GSP contact persons and trainers (in German only)

Guidelines for handling research data

In the course of the scientific process, a large amount of data is generated. This research data can be generated by both qualitative and quantitative research, e.g. through interviews, surveys, experiments or observations, and can exist in analog or digital form including text documents, spreadsheets, logbooks, questionnaires, audio and video recordings, samples, collections, database content or protocols.

Long-term archiving of research data is a prerequisite for the traceability of scientific results. In addition, the data obtained is of interest for possible subsequent use.

Guidelines on the handling of research data at TU Dresden (in German only)
For more detailed information, please visit the website of the Service Center Research Data.

Courses for Professors

The Center for Continuing Education (ZfW) offers regular workshops on The Rules of Good Scientific Practice in Everyday Research for TUD professors.

On the following link, you can find the dates for workshops on GSP for professors.

Module 1 | GSP - An Introduction | E-Learning

Goethe University Frankfurt developed this one-hour online course for individual work, especially for doctoral candidates. It offers a brief introduction to the standards and principles of good scientific practice.

How does it work?

You're a doctoral candidate at TU Dresden, and you would like to complete the e-learning course. Please register via Opal!

Module 1 | Registrierung via Opal

Important

Please make sure that your browser allows pop-up windows.
If you have already completed the course on an earlier date, just upload your certificate to Promovendus.
Please note that this tool was developed by Goethe University Frankfurt; therefore, Goethe University's data protection regulations apply to course participation.

Module 2 | GSP at the TU Dresden | E-Learning

The e-learning course "Good Scientific Practice at TU Dresden," developed by the Graduate Academy of TU Dresden, teaches doctoral candidates the specific guidelines, procedures, and support services related to good scientific practice. Participants also learn about ethical standards, documentation requirements, and institutional support structures.

How does it work?

Have you completed the first e-learning module successfully?
Then, please register for the second module of our certificate course via OPAL.
You will need a valid ZIH log-in.

Module 2 | Registration via Opal

Important note

Please make sure that your browser allows pop-ups.
After successful completion, please download your certificate of participation and upload it to Promovendus.

Module 3 | GSP during the Doctorate | Case studies | Online workshop

This 2-hour interactive online workshop for doctoral candidates addresses case studies on good scientific practice. Participants analyze hypothetical scenarios from everyday research, discuss the dilemmas presented in small groups, and work together to develop possible approaches. The interactive course promotes exchange and strengthens competence in dealing with ethical challenges in research.

Registration for Module 3 | Prerequisites

Have you completed modules 1 and 2 successfully?
Have you downloaded both certificates of participation?
Have you been admitted as a doctoral candidate at your faculty by the doctoral committee?

Upload Certificates | How does it work?

After registering for module 3, click on the "My Profile" tab in Promovendus and navigate to your course participant record (abbreviated with "V").
In the left-hand menu under "Documents," click on "Add document" to upload the proof of successful participation in modules 1 and 2 as PDF files.
These will be checked as an admission requirement before final confirmation of participation.

Module 3 | Dates

Workshops of the qualification program

Furthermore, the Qualification program offers a broad spectrum of courses
that focus on different questions closely linked to this topic, such as:

Visualization of Research Data
Scientific Writing
Research Data Management

Doctoral candidates in medicine

The Faculty of Medicine provides its own courses on the topic of “Good Scientific Practice” particularly for doctoral candidates in medicine.

More information on this can be found on the website of the faculty of medicine.
Find dates and registration for courses of Dresden university medicine here.

Workshops for university lecturers

Workshops on "Good Scientific Practice" for university lecturers
will be available on the website of the Center for Continuing Education (ZfW).

Workshops on Demand

Introductory workshops for doctoral candidates

Certified course instructors: At the request of supervising university lecturers and subject to time availability, the Graduate Academy offers interdisciplinary introductory online workshops on Good Scientific Practice (GWP) for doctoral candidates.

Participants: min. 8 / max. 16 doctoral candidates (and postdocs)
Language: German or English
Format: online
Duration: 3.5 hours

Please note:

Requirement for doctoral candidates: Acceptance at a faculty of the TUD
Requirement for Postdocs: Membership at the Postdoc Center
The successful implementation of this depends on the availability and capacity of the GA trainers. While we make every effort, we cannot always guarantee it within a specific timeframe.

Are you interested?

In order to offer you the best support and ensure effective planning, we kindly ask for the following information from you:

Preferred date
Number of participants
Workshop language (German/English)

Please email us at

Advisory Service

Doctoral candidates & postdocs with questions regarding "Good Scientific Practice" can also make individual appointments with specifically qualified advisors at the Graduate Academy.

Would you like to book an appointment?

Please use our GA contact form.

Links and publications

TU Dresden

The e-learning “Export Control in Science” (modules 1 to 3) is available in OPAL for all employees of TU Dresden:

German: https://bildungsportal.sachsen.de/opal/auth/RepositoryEntry/45092896771 English: https://bildungsportal.sachsen.de/opal/auth/RepositoryEntry/45448036355

Game-based learning | Gamification on academic integrity

Dilemma Game| Erasmus University Rotterdam
Seneca's Integrity Matters | University of Waterloo
Jeopardy on Academic Integrity | Jeopardy Labs

Statutes for Ensuring Good Scientific Practice

TU Dresden has issued the Statutes for Ensuring Good Scientific Practice, Avoiding Scientific Misconduct, and Handling Violations.

All members and staff of TUD are obliged to follow these statutes, to make them the basis of their scientific work and to actively contribute to the avoidance of scientific misconduct within their sphere of activity.

Ombudsperson

The ombudsperson is the contact person, advisor, and mediator in all cases of suspected scientific misconduct. If necessary, he or she will be supported by the Review Board for Scientific Misconduct.

Your report will be treated confidentially. Confidentiality serves to protect the whistleblower as well as the person suspected of misconduct.

The ombudsperson shall maintain a regular exchange with the liaison officers of the faculties, the Review Board for Scientific Misconduct, as well as the other advisory bodies of TUD. Conflict cases that are not related to scientific misconduct can be forwarded confidentially to the responsible offices of TUD (e.g., Personnel Representation Council, conflict mediator of the Graduate Academy, psychosocial counselling, etc.) with the consent of the informant.

If there is reasonable suspicion of academic misconduct in the view of the ombudsperson, this suspicion will be reviewed by the Investigative Committee or, in suspected cases where the misconduct relates to academic examinations (e.g. Bachelor's, Master's, Diploma examinations) or graduations (doctorates, habilitations), by the regular Examination Board provided for in the respective examination and graduation regulations.

Contact

Prof. Dr. Alexander Kemnitz | Ombudsperson

Office for Good Scientific Practice

In cases of suspected scientific misconduct, the Office for Good Scientific Practice supports the ombudsperson, the Investigative Committee, and the regular review boards.

The Office for Good Scientific Practice accepts reports of suspected misconduct confidentially and provides information on possible procedural steps. This shall not affect the right of direct recourse to the ombudsperson or the Investigative Committee.

In cases of suspected scientific misconduct, the Office for Good Scientific Practice offers to check final theses (e.g. Bachelor's, Master's, Diploma examinations) or graduations (doctorates, habilitations) for plagiarism using plagiarism detection software.

Contact

Sigrid Flade

Liaison officer for early-career researchers

Each faculty appoints one female and one male scientist as a liaison officer for early-career researchers.

List of contact details of the faculty liaison officers (download) (in German only)

These liaison officers serve as contact persons that can be easily approached by early-career researchers (especially doctoral candidates). These contact persons can also mediate in problematic situations. If necessary, and only with the consent of the person seeking advice, the contact persons can pass the conflict case on to the ombudsperson.

This shall not affect the right of direct recourse to the ombudsperson.

Subject-specific trainers at TUD

Furthermore, certified contact persons are available in all five Schools, as well as at the cfaed, the CRTD as well as in the Graduate School DIGS-BB. They offer subject-specific GSP workshops for Master students and doctoral candidates.

List of contact details of all GSP contact persons and trainers (in German only)

Guidelines for handling research data

In the course of the scientific process, a large amount of data is generated. This research data can be generated by both qualitative and quantitative research, e.g. through interviews, surveys, experiments or observations, and can exist in analog or digital form including text documents, spreadsheets, logbooks, questionnaires, audio and video recordings, samples, collections, database content or protocols.

Long-term archiving of research data is a prerequisite for the traceability of scientific results. In addition, the data obtained is of interest for possible subsequent use.

Guidelines on the handling of research data at TU Dresden (in German only)
For more detailed information, please visit the website of the Service Center Research Data.

Courses for Professors

The Center for Continuing Education (ZfW) offers regular workshops on The Rules of Good Scientific Practice in Everyday Research for TUD professors.

On the following link, you can find the dates for workshops on GSP for professors.

Good Scientific Practice

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