Good scientific practice, working according to the rules of the art, is one of the greatest assets of academic work. Violations of these rules, such as plagiarism and publications based on invented or manipulated data, have attracted a great deal of public attention.

In addition to such obvious violations, however, there are other areas where the rules are more complex and where there is a grey area between compliance and non-compliance. Moreover, not all academic supervisory relationships correspond to the ideal of mutual trust and respect.

As a basis for honest academic behaviour, the University of Rostock has created a detailed set of rules that define the framework of good academic practice and help to recognise academic misconduct and to make the right decisions. The rules can be viewed here.

Ombudspersons are available to scientists as contact persons. Their task is to clarify allegations of scientific misconduct. In cases of conflict, they act as confidential and neutral counsellors or mediators if desired. There are no fixed rules for selecting an ombudsperson; all ombudspersons are equally available to all those seeking advice.

Please do not hesitate to contact one of our ombudspersons directly if you have a problem or suspect academic misconduct. Your concerns will be treated with the utmost discretion.