german research 2/2008 In this issue Commentary research Ulrike Beisiegel Magazine of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Environmental History A Question of Integrity ......................... p. 2 Taking stock of the DFG White Paper on Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice The Tibetan Plateau, which covers some 1.5 million square Natural Sciences kilometres, has had a signifi- cant influence on the global Antje Schwalb et al. climate over the past fifty The Top of the World as a Climate Sensor .......... p. 4 million years. A Sino-German team of researchers is search- Harald Lesch and Axel Jessner ing for new insights into the When Dead Stars Emit Signals ...................p. 8 far-reaching climate and envi- Astrophysicists investigate the mystery of pulsars ronmental changes of the past in the sediment of the Nam Co. Portrait Page 4 german Rembert Unterstell The King’s Discipline and its Master .............. p. 12 Robust Biocoenoses Leibniz Prizewinner and algebraic topologist Wolfgang Lück Because they are able to defy Engineering Sciences even the most inhospitable of Knut Urban habitats, microalgae are ubi- quitous. The algal biocoenoses The Long Road to Visible Atoms .................p. 13 often appear as a “green skin”. Advances using high-resolution transmission electron microscopes Depending on the humidity of the substrate, the biofilm Life Sciences can vary between being moist U. Karsten, R. Schumann, L. Gustavs and T. Friedl and slimy or powdery and dry. The Secret of the Green Skin ....................p. 16 Bioscientists are on a quest to better understand how micro- On tour with german research algae live and how they adapt to such different environmental Magdalena Schaeffer conditions. Page 16 Between Two Different Worlds ..................p. 20 A visit to the DFG’s Office in Delhi Funeral Cultures Arts and Humanities Oliver Krüger Changes in religious convic- tions and ideologies also result The Price of Death ............................p. 22 in adaptations in burial cus- toms. On the basis of the burial and grave rituals in the United States, researchers have dem- onstrated that the economic Research Site: interests of undertakers and Tibetan Plateau 2/2008 . The Top of the World as a Climate Sensor . The funeral parlours play a major Long Road to Visible Atoms . The King's Discipline and its role that has so far received German and Chinese scientists use lake little attention. Page 22 sediments to investigate and trace the Master . When Dead Stars Emit Signals . The climate and environmental history of the Secret of the Green Skin . The Price of Death Cover: Mugler region and its global impact. Page 4 german research 2 / 2008 Commentary decade has passed since the eration and leadership responsibility, course, to ensure confidentiality, this Publications are the most im- any queries we receive relate in the scientific system is obliged to DFG’s white paper on “Safe- the promotion of young researchers is only possible if the person who in- portant “currency” in our scientific to issues of a lack of leadership play their part, be it those submitting A guarding Good Scientific and the obligation of absolute con- formed us agrees to us doing so. If system. This makes honesty with M responsibility and insufficient funding proposals, peer reviewers, Practice” was published, and nine fidentiality of peer reviews. To fa- there is any disagreement between respect to the work done by each promotion of young researchers. This or staff at research institutions, as years since the DFG ombudsman, the cilitate the implementation of these the two statements, we invite both contributor to a publication particu- is a matter of particular concern, since well as doctorate students. independent committee on good sci- recommendations, and to provide a parties concerned to a hearing. Ideal- larly important. “Honorary author- it is the quality of young researchers Particular importance needs to be entific practice and scientific miscon- source of advice and support to re- ly, this allows us to solve the problem ship” by lead researchers who did and scientists that determines the fu- given to integrating “good scientific duct, was established. The conclu- searchers and scientists, the white immediately by rectifying the viola- not actually contribute to the work ture of our scientific system. In spite practice” in the teaching given to all sion of the ombudsman’s work so far paper recommended the installation tion of the rules, for example by pub- is out of the question, for instance. of excellent programmes established undergraduate students. It is neces- is that the white paper remains just of the DFG ombudsman and inde- lishing an erratum if there was a case In my opinion, the ever-increasing by the DFG and other funding bodies sary to establish a specific curricu- as relevant now as it was when it was pendent, local ombudsmen. regarding authorship. These cases pressure to perform that exists in the to promote young researchers, we see lum, but also to integrate the topic published – and that it is still not suf- time and time again that of scientific conduct in all regular ficiently familiar or established in the those affected are nei- teaching activities. Graduate schools minds of the scientific community. ther given the necessary and other research groups ought to Despite the fact that it was uni- working conditions, nor offer seminars on the subject, and versally accepted, a decade ago, the afforded the independ- this needs to be given much greater white paper and the recommenda- ence that they need. priority by scientific institutions, and tions it contained could only achieve Ulrike Beisiegel Especially in medicine, it must be discussed by departments their intended objectives by being cases of obstruction in- and committees. First and foremost, implemented as widely as possible stead of promotion of re- the university administrations need and by becoming as self-evident and search are frequent, due to be made more sensitive to the is- present in the scientific community’s to the clinical work that sue, because so far there has been a consciousness as possible. takes priority. In such tendency to play it down and not fol- The case of Herrmann/Brach in cases it is very important low cases up, rather than to actively 1997 had revealed just how vulner- A Question to create the necessary promote good scientific practice and able the scientific system was to structural conditions for take serious action against those who abuse. After this case, which was good scientific practice violate the rules. probably the most serious case of to be put into practice. Adherence to the rules of good scientific misconduct in German his- One terribly sad fact scientific practice has been given in- tory, the scientific community – with of Integrity is that people who re- creasing prominence at an interna- the DFG at its forefront – sought ways port their suspicions can tional level recently. In this debate, to establish rules for good scientific be put at a serious disad- the German ombudsman system practice and how to deal with scien- vantage as whistleblow- which is independent of state control tific misconduct. It was specifically ers. In order to develop is envied by other countries, which intended that this should be done The DFG’s recommendations for ensuring good an efficient ombudsman have state-run monitors. We need to by the scientific community itself, as system where self-regu- recognise the benefits of this auton- a form of self-regulation and as the scientific practice are still current, even ten years lation by scientists and omy that science in Germany enjoys “main aim of self governance of the researchers is a matter in having a scientific system that is scientific community”. after they were published – and yet they have of course it is thus ex- characterised by honesty and integ- The DFG white paper also marked tremely important that rity, and do everything in our power the first time that the critical areas that still not really arrived in everyday science all information is treated to implement the recommendations lead to violation of the rules of good in strict confidence. Uni- even more consistently and effec- scientific practice were clearly identi- Illustration: private versity lecturers who tively than we have done in the last fied and recommendations made on are exposed must not ten years. Otherwise, we run the risk how to address these problems. be allowed to make the of ending up in a situation where this Probably the most fundamental he system of ombudsmen that are closed by presenting a written scientific community demands more matter public in order to obtain the system proves to be ineffectual. recommendation is for research- was subsequently established statement about the matter to both detailed evaluation of performance. support of colleagues and university ers to exercise strict honesty, both T on the basis of this recommen- parties. However, if a serious case of It is simply not fair for the director management. with themselves and with others. dation reveals the significance of the scientific misconduct is suspected, we of an institution to be credited for All in all, after ten years of “ensur- This applies not only to the presen- DFG white paper. Since that time, pass the matter back to the committee the number of publications cur- ing good scientific practice”, we can tation of research findings, but also every researcher and scientist in Ger- at the institution affected. This com- rently generated by the institution conclude that the DFG succeeded in to the contributions made by part- many has been able to turn either to mittee – also called for by the white in the same way as younger, more drawing up a very good set of guide- ners, predecessors and competing a trusted person at their own institu- paper – then checks the information active researchers.