Safeguarding of good academic practice

Safeguarding of good academic practice at Heidelberg University

Recommendations of the DFG of good academic practice

Recommendations of the DFG for Secure Storage and Availability of Digital Primary Research Data


The Faculty of Behavioural and Cultural Studies puts great emphasis on good academic practice. In each subject area, the faculty tries to sensitize the students from the onset of their studies for the ethos of academic work. This includes courses about epistemology or ethics in science, but also the guidance on critical reading of scientific literature. Accompanying teaching should increase the media competence of our students and help them to understand that reliable scientific information not can be found on Google, but especially in highly qualified information services such as Psyndex, PsycInfo, or Medline.

In dealing with individuals who voluntarily provide themselves for the empirical research as a test person, their consent to the data collection is a key factor ("informed consent"). As a matter of course these persons have the opportunity to cancel the experiment at any time without giving reasons and without other disadvantages. The faculty has established for this area its own Ethics Commission, that is acting on application.

The scientists of the faculty are aware of their role model function and make clear, that on all levels of academic education (Bachelor, Master, Doctoral Studies, Habilitation) good scientific practice is a central matter and cannot be replaced by mechanical test techniques (e.g. "Turnitin") or by legal principles (e.g. "declaration of academic honesty"). We use authenticity declarations and test software only as accompanying measures.

Science is done by people who do not work flawlessly. In knowledge of that, we strive over and over again to raise awareness of good scientific work and act exemplary, with the ultimate goal to of keeping the possible faults as small as possible.