Research Data Policy

Research data is a fundamental component of scientific and academic work. The current digital transformation makes it possible for the first time to store and use research data on a large scale. The Georg Eckert Institute for International Textbook Research (GEI) has developed this Policy on Research Data in order to enable high quality and sustainable management of research data. The aim of this Policy is to facilitate transparent access to knowledge, results and technology and to describe the shared objectives that should form the basis of individual and institutional action. The Policy will take into account the ‘Guidelines for safeguarding good academic practice at the Leibniz Institute for Educational Media | Georg Eckert (GEI)` as well as the advice of the Council for Scientific Information Infrastructures (RfII) and the Leibniz Association Guidelines for Handling Research Data. Academics at the GEI are involved in the development of current standards and infrastructure, for example within the national research data infrastructure (NFDI). In addition to the Policy on Research Data, staff at the GEI are also provided with a handout containing regularly updated explanations and statements. These focus on concrete applicability within the individual academic working processes and the associated discipline-specific and subject-specific challenges.

Research data encompasses all digital and analogue data that is gathered, created and processed in the course of academic working practices. Research data originates from different stages of research and academic work; it can be unprocessed raw data, metadata or various forms of prepared data and publications.

The GEI understands research data management to be an active task, spanning the entire process from planning, gathering, documenting, preparing, processing and publishing research data, all the way to archiving. The objectives of research data management are to ensure traceability and validity within the research process, and that the same applies to research findings, and to enable data to be subsequently reused.

Research data management is an intrinsic part of academic working practice at the GEI and is acknowledged as a constituent part of academic output. The staff at the GEI are committed to treating all types of research data originating from their academic activities responsibly, transparently and sustainably. There is particular emphasis on the obligation to consider the special challenges of data protection and copyright as well as to comply with ethical and confidentiality requirements. Access rights, proprietary rights and interests of the researcher and those involved in the research must also be observed.

Responsibility for managing research data within the individual processes lies with the academic staff and in particular those in a leadership or management role, the director, and heads of departments and projects. This process incorporates the maintenance of data and metadata: including saving, documentation and storage and the selection of data during the research process, while observing the principles of FAIR data (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Re-usable), which also stress the importance of ensuring the reusability of data. The definitions of research data and the standards applicable within the various disciplines as well as the requirements of any research partners or sponsors must also be taken into consideration. 

The GEI shall enable access to relevant (internal or external) infrastructures to ensure appropriate storage, and academic as well as technical availability of research data. The Institute guarantees to cover the costs of these basic facilities as well as to maintain the infrastructures and ensure their long-term viability and development. In order to support staff in all areas of research data management the GEI has created an internal liaison office that will provide regular training seminars and offer advice. If required, the GEI will also arrange for external legal advice to be provided on all aspects of research data management.