Preamble

The Project Office for Applied Social Research is an institution of the Department of Social Sciences of the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences. It aims to promote social science research and teaching cooperation projects at Universität Hamburg, forging linkages with institutions from the political, administrative, social, and economic spheres, thus increasing the practical relevance of the social science study programs. Furthermore, students of the Department get an insight into practice-oriented and applied research, while also acquiring vocational skills. The results of collaborative projects managed by the Project Office are based on a scientific approach, using tested methodologies, and systematized knowledge to guarantee high quality outcomes for the practice partner.

While the primary function of the Project Office is to enhance cooperation between research, teaching, and practice rather than the sale of its services, it is anticipated that projects conducted with cooperation partners will cover its costs.

Cooperation on research projects between students and teachers of the Department as well as project partners from practice are supervised by the Project Office to create synergy effects that benefit all participants. To ensure this, the following principles apply:

The research project must be socially relevant.

Student involvement must be at the heart of the planning phase. This is why students are involved in all phases of the project as active researchers in the sense of “research-based learning.”

The general intent to publish the results after the project is agreed with the client, to ensure no confidential in-house or company-specific issues are published.

 

Participating researchers are bound by the code of ethics published by the German Political Science Association, which gives particular weight to the principles of integrity and objectivity, the principles of non-discrimination, and the civil clause.

(decided on 13 January 2012, updated 6 July 2012)