At the invitation of the Lower Saxony State Initiative for Research Data Management, Dr. Katrin Frisch and Dr. Katrin Nele Reeg from the Ombuds Committee for Scientific Integrity in Germany (OWID) presented the findings of their study, *Conflicts of Authorship and Data Use – Common Scenarios and Their Prevention,” to nearly one hundred interested participants on the findings of their study, “Conflicts of Authorship and Data Use in Ombuds Work.”
The presentation is available online via the TIB AV Portal: https://doi.org/10.5446/73647
Understanding potential conflict scenarios plays an important role in raising awareness of good scientific practice and promoting the responsible handling of research data. The event was aimed at researchers and anyone who works with scientific data. The focus was on typical conflict situations that can arise in everyday research. These include, in particular, disagreements over the use of data or the attribution of authorship in scientific publications. Such conflicts are not exceptions but a recurring phenomenon across many disciplines.
Using practical examples, the speakers explained which situations particularly often lead to tensions and what underlying causes drive them. At the same time, they presented strategies for avoiding conflicts at an early stage. Particular emphasis was placed on clear agreements, transparent communication, and the documentation of contributions within research projects. The event provided participants with an overview of key issues and recommendations for addressing sensitive questions regarding authorship and data use. During the subsequent discussion, topics such as affiliation disclosure and rules governing authorship in data publications were addressed. It was also noted that the Contributor Role Taxonomy (CRediT; https://credit.niso.org/) can be a helpful tool and that, to date, there are few concrete examples of agreements on the topics of authorship and usage rights.
The slides from the presentation are available on Zenodo: Frisch, K., & Reeg, N. (2026, June 18). Autorschafts- und Datennutzungskonflikte – Häufige Szenarien und deren Prävention. Zenodo. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20746775
Further material: (Frisch, K., & Reeg, N. (2025). Autorschafts- und Datennutzungskonflikte in der Ombudsarbeit. Ergebnisbericht. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17423148 )