In accordance with Freie Universität’s Statute for Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice, your departmental ombudsperson is the first point of contact in such cases. They are then responsible for carrying out the preliminary investigation.

Alternatively, you can also contact the Coordination Office for Research Integrity if you have more general questions about the investigation procedure. The Coordination Office can provide an initial consultation, but does not have the authority to initiate the official procedure itself.

In accordance with Freie Universität’s Statute for Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice, the departmental ombudspersons are responsible for carrying out the preliminary investigation. As such, you should contact them first should you suspect a case of scientific misconduct. However, in exceptional cases where you have justifiable reasons not to involve the departmental ombudspersons, you may contact the central ombudspersons directly instead.

No. All ombudspersons are sworn to maintain confidentiality; your identity will not be shared with the person you are reporting or others without your consent. However, it is possible that the ombudspersons may ask you to disclose your identity during the procedure in order to enable settlement through arbitration. Additionally, a procedure may not be able to be continued if you wish to remain anonymous, for example, if drawing attention to the issues you raise would itself disclose your identity.

Yes, you can. However, as the ombudspersons are not authorized to make any decisions about the procedure itself, it is important that anonymous tips are plausible and accompanied by written evidence. If this evidence is not substantial enough, an anonymous tip cannot be followed through with, as the person who submitted the tip cannot be contacted for further questions.

You should ideally be able to provide an extensive but precise written account of the suspected case of scientific misconduct; this will be of great help for the ombudspersons tasked with carrying out a preliminary investigation. Before opening an official procedure, we recommend that you first seek advice on how to proceed from your departmental ombudsperson or the Coordination Office for Research Integrity.

The integrity of the scientific community relies on people raising their voices when they believe that misconduct is taking place. However, please note that knowingly submitting a false accusation of scientific misconduct itself represents an act of misconduct.

The most important document on good research practice at Freie Universität is the Statute for Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice (GWP-Satzung), which came into effect in February 2024. It provides a binding set of rules on good research practice, as well as the procedure for dealing with cases of suspected scientific misconduct, for all members of Freie Universität Berlin.

Supporting documents include the Research Data Policy, the Open Access Policy, and the Guidelines on the Protection and Commercialization of Intellectual Property at Freie Universität Berlin.

Ombudspersons for good research practice act as mediators in conflicts that are rooted in a (suspected) case of scientific misconduct. They evaluate how plausible these accusations are, advise on how to proceed, and mediate between both parties, should the case of misconduct be able to be resolved without the need for official investigation. Ombudspersons are impartial and sworn to confidentiality. They are not authorized to impose sanctions, nor is this their intended role.

Once a semester, Dahlem Research School (DRS) offers the workshop “Research Integrity” for doctoral students. Upon request, this workshop can also be booked for institutes, departments, or joint projects. Additionally, DRS organizes courses on specific issues surrounding good research practice, for example, research data management or research ethics, for doctoral students across multiple specializations. In some instances, the other graduate centers and schools at Freie Universität also offer their own events.

Freie Universität Berlin plans to offer a comprehensive series of courses on the topic of good research practice in the near future. These will be available to bachelor’s and master’s students across all departments. These courses are still being developed; please contact your departmental ombudsperson for more information on what offers are currently available at your department.

If you would like to plan a course yourself, the Coordination Office for Research Integrity is happy to lend its support.

The Executive Board at Freie Universität Berlin has made the decision to provide all departments at the university with anti-plagiarism software for analyzing texts (e.g., theses). Freie Universität is still in the process of acquiring this software. The University Library will be responsible for software support and advising university members on its use. For more information on this subject, please contact Armin Glatzmeier (armin.glatzmeier@fu-berlin.de).

If you would like to organize a course or event on good research practice, we recommend first getting in touch with your departmental ombudspersons. They are familiar with your institutional environment and the demands of your research field and are thus best qualified to answer any questions you may have. Additionally, the Coordination Office for Research Integrity is happy to provide materials and advice upon request.