Equitable Research Partnerships in international cooperation

Related guidelines:

The roles and responsibilities of the researchers and research support staff participating in a research project must be clear at each stage of the project.

The participants in a research project engage in regular dialogue. They define their roles and responsibilities in a suitable way and adapt them where necessary. Adaptations are likely to be needed if the focus of a participant’s work changes.

Researchers take into account and acknowledge the current state of re- search when planning a project. To identify relevant and suitable research questions, they familiarise themselves with existing research in the public domain. HEIs and non-HEI research institutions ensure that the necessary basic framework for this is in place.

Methods to avoid (unconscious) distortions in the interpretation of findings, e.g. the use of blinding in experiments, are used where possible. Researchers examine whether and to what extent gender and diversity dimensions may be of significance to the research project (with regard to methods, work programme, objectives, etc.). The context in which the research was conducted is taken into consideration when interpreting findings.

Guideline 9(interner Link) identifies factors in the design of a research project that can underpin the validity and reliability of the research, thereby enhancing the scientific quality of the results. The list of factors is not exhaustive. What is more, they vary depending on the thematic focus and complexity of the research questions being addressed, the research context and the respective framework conditions. In conjunction with Guideline 8(interner Link), it is also necessary to ensure that the roles of those involved are clearly defined, especially when it comes to international research collaborations.

Scientific exchange is a key driver of pioneering, innovative research and can make a significant contribution to boosting science and the humanities. This applies in particular to international research collaborations, where there is an opportunity to share differing perspectives and approaches across borders. The basis for productive dialogue is fair, unprejudiced and equitable cooperation. Collaborative research ventures involving countries with differing structural backgrounds can pose particular challenges for successful dialogue. The differing resources and configurations of the respective research systems must be taken into account in the collaboration.

Partners on-site should be involved in collecting, processing and publishing data and should also have access to the results after completion of the project. A number of codes and self-commitments have been developed in recent years aimed at ensuring fair and equitable partnerships in the collection and processing of research data. Examples of these include the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) (Wilkinson et al., 2016) of the open data movement, and the so-called CARE principles (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics) (Carroll et al., 2020) for Indigenous Data Governance. These two sets of principles and recommendations complement each other: while the former emphasise the framework conditions for increased data sharing on the part of all stakeholders involved in research, the latter pursue the goal of boosting innovation, self-determination and data sovereignty.

The Global Code of Conduct(externer Link) likewise focuses on key principles of international research cooperation based on the four pillars of fairness, respect, care and honesty. Similarly, the Cape Town Statement(externer Link) and the principles developed by ESSENCE and UKCDR contain recommendations on how research integrity and equitable research partnerships(externer Link) can be ensured based on fairness and equity. These include open communication and joint consideration of existing asymmetries, fair practices from planning through to the implementation of research projects (time schedule, budget (allocation), management, output, impact, etc.), mutual respect, shared responsibility and the acknowledgement and consideration of different sources of knowledge and experience, with the aim of ensuring high-quality research. The subsequent target group-oriented communication of the results to the respective communities also has a key role to play.