Rules to ensure good scientific practice reloaded and the role of libraries in safeguarding scientific professional ethics
Nicole Walger, Director UB Duisburg-Essen
In July 2019, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation, DFG) published the new code "Guidelines for Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice". The code refers to changes in the scientific research and publication process resulting from digital transition and to new structures and forms of cooperation in science. A mandatory culture of scientific integrity is to be expedited based on the professional ethics of scientists.
Researchers themselves remain primarily responsible for complying with good scientific practice. University libraries are not mentioned in the new code, although a large part of the new guidelines represent a playing field and field of work applicable to them in particular.
This talk will highlight the role university libraries can play in striving for truth and objectivity or in upholding scientific professional ethics.
Nicole Walger completed a course of German language and literature as well as Romance studies in Frankfurt am Main. After working as a research assistant at the Mainz University Library, she completed her degree in Library and Information Sciences at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences. In 2011, she became the head of the translation, language, and cultural sciences department library, and additionally took on the post of deputy head of the e-science services department at the Mainz University Library in 2013, where she also initiated the "Academic Integrity" project, which is sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. In October 2016, Nicole Walger moved to Siegen University as deputy library director. Here, she established structures and services for scientific publishing and research data management. In November 2017, she became the spokesperson for the "Academic Integrity" specialist group at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Information & Wissen (German Society for Information and Knowledge, DGI). Since May 2019, Nicole Walger has held the position of director of the Duisburg-Essen University Library.