Guideline 10
Legal and ethical frameworks, usage rights
Researchers adopt a responsible approach to the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of research. They comply with rights and obligations, particularly those arising from legal requirements and contracts with third parties, and where necessary seek approvals and ethics statements and present these when required. With regard to research projects, the potential consequences of the research should be evaluated in detail and the ethical aspects should be assessed. The legal framework of a research project includes documented agreements on usage rights relating to data and results generated by the project.
Explanations:
Researchers maintain a continual awareness of the risks associated with the misuse of research results. Their responsibility is not limited to compliance with legal requirements but also includes an obligation to use their knowledge, experience and skills such that risks can be recognised, assessed and evaluated. They pay particular attention to the aspects associated with security-relevant research (dual use). HEIs and non-HEI research institutions are responsible for ensuring that their members’ and employees’ actions comply with regulations and promote this through suitable organisational structures. They develop binding ethical guidance and policies and define procedures to assess ethical issues relating to research projects.
Where possible and practicable, researchers conclude documented agreements on usage rights at the earliest possible point in a research project. Documented agreements are especially useful when multiple academic and/or non-academic institutions are involved in a research project or when it is likely that a researcher will move to a different institution and continue using the data he or she generated for his or her own research purposes. In particular, the researcher who collected the data is entitled to use them. During a research project, those entitled to use the data decide whether third parties should have access to them (subject to data protection regulations).
Comments - Natural sciences (5)
Handling samples in the geosciences
03.12.2020 – Samples should be archived and stored for future use whenever possible so as to ensure that the material can be used as widely as possible by the scientific community.
Comment on: GL7 (Natural sciences) , GL9 (Natural sciences) , GL10 (Natural sciences) , GL17 (Natural sciences)
The Nagoya Protocol in biophysics
03.12.2020 – In interdisciplinary research projects, such as those in the field of biophysical research, it is important to take account of the Nagoya Protocol in the planning phase of the project.
Comment on: GL9 (Natural sciences) , GL10 (Natural sciences)
Commitment to responsible marine research
03.12.2020 – German marine research has issued a voluntary commitment in which it sets out key principles of responsible marine research.
Comment on: GL2 (Natural sciences) , GL10 (Natural sciences)
The dual use problem in mathematics
03.12.2020 – In many cases, basic research in both theoretical and applied mathematics has the potential to be significant to security-related research as well.
Comment on: GL10 (Natural sciences)
The Nagoya Protocol in the geosciences
03.12.2020 – The extraction of geoscientific sample material can also fall under the regulations of the Nagoya Protocol.
Comment on: GL10 (Natural sciences)