Research ethics
The University of Hamburg is committed to ensuring that ethical principles are established and observed in research. For this reason, the University of Hamburg researchers have the option to contact ethics committees if they have questions about ethical matters.
Content
Risks in research
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
Ethics committees
Whom should I contact?
In cases of doubt, researchers can contact the ethics committees of their respective departments. Below, you will find a list of the committees.
- Bylaws for the ethics committee for the Faculty of Law
- 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 Department of Informatics
- Ethics committee for the Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science
- Ethics committee for the Faculty of Business Administration
- Ethics committee and recommendations of the Cluster of Excellence Understanding Written Artefacts
The Council on Scientific Ethics deals with scientific ethics issues across the board. The Central Committee for Ethics in Security-Relevant Research (ZKEF) is composed of representatives from the faculty ethics committees. Its task is to raise awareness of security-related research and provide comprehensive advice.
More information on research integrity
Contact
Abteilung 4: Forschung und Wissenschaftsförderung
Staff can find their direct contacts in the intranet / Staff Portal.