Research ethics

In principle, an ethics committee should be contacted if a research project involves significant risks to human dignity, life, health, freedom, property, the environment, or peaceful coexistence.

You should seek advice on the ethicalness of the following research projects in advance:

• research involving humans
• projects involving personal data
• research involving animal testing
• projects involving risks from radiation or resulting in environmental damage
• dual use

Whom should I contact?

The Academic Ethics Council deals with questions of ethics in science and scholarship. The Joint Committee on the Handling of Security-Relevant Research (Zentrale Kommission für Ethik in der sicherheitsrelevanten Forschung, ZKEF) is composed of representatives from faculty ethics commissions. It is responsible for raising awareness of security-relevant research and for providing comprehensive advice. Researchers can also contact ethics committees in various departments. Below, you will find a list of the committees

• Research ethics advisory council
• Joint Committee on the Handling of Security-Relevant Research (ZKEF)
• Ethics committee for the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences
• Ethics committee for the Faculty of Medicine
• Ethics committee for the Faculty of Education
• Ethics committee for the Faculty of Humanities
• Ethics committee for the Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science
• Ethics committee for the Faculty of Business Administration
• Bylaws for the ethics committee for the Faculty of Law
• Ethics committee for the Department of Informatics
• Ethics committee and recommendations of the Cluster of Excellence Understanding Written Artefacts

More information on research integrity

• Checklist for self-assessment as part of the MIN faculty’s civil clause
• Handling Security-Relevant Research