HRK Guidelines on institutional attribution of research publications

24. April 2018

The attribution of research publications to a particular institution has a significant influence on this institution’s position in international rankings. For this reason, it is important for universities that affiliation with the respective institution is stated by research authors when publishing. The General Assembly of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) adopted guidelines to that effect in Mannheim today.

The background to this resolution is that the university is frequently not named if researchers belong to several institutions. “Such situations are not unusual," said HRK President Prof Dr Horst Hippler. “Researchers change their jobs during a research project or spend a considerable period of time as a guest researcher at another institution. In addition, some researchers are permanent members of more than one institution, for example if a professor is jointly appointed by a university and a non-university research institution. Another example is doctoral programs in which there is another partner involved besides the university entitled to confer a doctorate. It is not acceptable for the name of the university to be passed over regularly.”  

The HRK guidelines now make it clear that both institutions are to be named as affiliations in such cases. In the event of research visits, say overseas, or a move to another university or research institution, all institutions should be named at which research vital to the respective publication was performed. “The implementation of the guidelines, not just at universities but at all research institutions, would contribute to fair competition and would also document the close cooperation between academic institutions,” said HRK Vice-President Prof Dr Ulrich Rüdiger, who is responsible for this area.

Text of the recommendation