This discussion hub focuses on how to handle the central questions that frequently arise between researchers in allocating authorship. Different outputs of the discussion hub such as discussion papers, surveys or case studies are intended to not only contribute to the relevant discourses, but also to further the development of helpful guidelines. If required, discipline-specific particularities will also be taken into account. Those outputs aim to complement and specify the standards for good research practice set out in the DFG Code of Conduct, equipping scientists with tangible orientation to strengthen research integrity.

Working closely with experts this project especially focuses on:

• specifying criteria concerning authorship for different fields of research
• guidelines for avoiding and dealing with conflicts concerning authorship
• tensions between early agreements on authorship and dynamic research processes
• analysing the underlying issues concerning unfair practices of authorship, especially honorary authorships and how to avoid and possibly sanction them

Various experts such as researchers from universities as well as independent research institutions, members of academic societies and funding organizations, experts in the field of law, local ombudspersons and other experts for good scientific practice will be interviewed and invited to collective discussions.

If you have any questions or would like to contribute to the discussion hub with your experience in handling authorship conflicts, please do not hesitate to get in contact.

Short biography

Research associate at the Ombuds Committee for Research Integrity in Germany since 2020. She studied Biochemistry at the Freie Universität Berlin. Working as a PhD student at the Robert Koch-Institute (Berlin) she earned her degree in 2017 at the Freie Universität Berlin exploring a possible therapy for auto-immune diseases. She also did research in the field of cancer therapy at the Robert Koch-Institute as well as the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

Publications

„Autorschafts- und Datennutzungskonflikte in der Ombudsarbeit“ (Katrin Frisch und Nele Reeg; Zenodo, 2024, in German). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14534674. You can find a short summary report in German here.

“Textgenerierende KI und gute wissenschaftliche Praxis” (Katrin Frisch, Felix Hagenström und Nele Reeg; ZfBB, Jahrgang 70, Heft 6/2023, in German). DOI: 10.3196/186429502370667

“Faire Autorschaftspraktiken umsetzen – Wie Infrastrukturen in der Wissenschaft unterstützen können” (Nele Reeg; ZfBB, Jahrgang 70, Heft 6/2023, in German). DOI: 10.3196/186429502370649

“Fallbeispiele ‘Autorschaft und Datennutzungskonflikte'” (Katrin Frisch & Nele Reeg; Zenodo 2023) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8177852

“Ghost Authorship and Ghostwriting” (Contribution by Nele Reeg and Felix Hagenström for the third level of the DFG Code, in collaboration with the DFG editorial team)

Wissenschaftliche Fairness (Katrin Frisch/Felix Hagenström/Nele Reeg; Bielefeld: transcript Verlag, 2022, in German). DOI: 10.14361/9783839459669

Presentations and Workshops

„Textgenerierende KI und gute wissenschaftliche Praxis“ (workshop with invited experts, organised by the Discussion Hubs team, Berlin, 27.06.2023). A report of the workhop (in German) can be found here.

„Authorship and Data Usage Conflicts in Ombuds Proceedings“ (Katrin Frisch and Nele Reeg; workshop as part of the „Symposium der Ombudspersonen für gute wissenschaftliche Praxis“, 17 February 2023 in Berlin)

„Gute wissenschaftliche Praxis leben | Respektvoll, richtig und gut forschen – nur wie?“ (Katrin Frisch und Nele Reeg; workshop as part of the event „Junge Forschung an der HTW Berlin“, 18.10.2022). Outline des Workshopvortrags

„QRP and the limitations of the FFP definition of research misconduct” (Felix Hagenström, Katrin Frisch and Nele Reeg; presentation at 7^th World Conference on Research Integrity, 30.05.2022, Cape Town). Folien zum Vortrag

 „Umgang mit Autorschaftskonflikten“ (Katrin Frisch and Nele Reeg; workshop for Ombuds persons, Universität Leipzig, 19.11.2021).

„How to Deal with Authorship?“ (Hjördis Czesnick and Nele Reeg; workshop as part of the Research Day at Weizenbaum-Institut, 26.11.2020).