TU Dresden Publishes New Guidelines for Handling Research Data to Promote Transparent and High-Quality Research

In recent years, the requirements for research data management have increased significantly and have also become more specific, for example, through funding agencies such as the German Research Foundation (DFG) or through the TUD Statutes on Good Scientific Practice. In practice, however, it is evident that researchers are still uncertain about how to implement these requirements in their day-to-day work. The guidelines for handling research data, which have been in place at TU Dresden since 2018, have therefore been comprehensively revised and are now published.
The guidelines apply to all members and affiliates of TUD, including the Medical Faculty. The new guidelines are intended to help all researchers handle research data in a transparent manner throughout the entire research process.

The TUD’s goal is to encourage all stakeholders to engage actively with modern research data management and to provide support tailored to their needs.

Key Elements of the Guidelines

• Clear Responsibilities: Responsibility for the transparent and complete documentation of data through appropriate research data management measures is divided among various levels: Researchers, the Chair / Project Group, the Faculty or Central Unit, and the University.
• Data Management Plan (DMP): Specific guidelines for creating DMPs provide researchers with a practical tool to meet the requirements of their externally funded projects and internal guidelines.
• Support Services Offered by TUD: Comprehensive services are available to help researchers handle their research data responsibly: advisory services on research data management (RDM), data protection, and IT services; IT infrastructure; research on modern RDM methods and tools; protection of sensitive data; participation in the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) and the establishment of a data competence center, as well as continuing education opportunities, are available to researchers.

With these new guidelines, the TUD Dresden University of Technology is sending a clear signal in favor of transparent, verifiable, and secure research data management. Clear responsibilities, structured DMP processes, and a comprehensive support network ensure the long-term quality and trustworthiness of research data. TU Dresden invites all researchers to make use of the guidelines and to work together to shape a reliable data ecosystem. 

Further information and support are available from the Service Center Research Data.