Scientific integrity

Scientific integrity and compliance with the principles of good scientific practice are indispensable requirements for scientific work. As an applied research organization, these principles are the basis of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s identity. Fraunhofer applies utmost care when implementing scientific methods and documenting data, as this is the basis on which commercial customers and the public place their trust in us.

For that reason, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft welcomes the recommendations of the “Commission on Professional Self-Regulation in Science” by the member institutes of the German Research Foundation (DFG), and implements them within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.

The essential principles of good scientific practice are

• Inclusion of independent ideas
• Knowledge of the state of the art
• Appreciation of the intellectual property of others
• Objectivity and critical distance to one’s own results
• Traceability through documentation and archiving of data and results