The Code of Ethics of the German Communication Association (DGPuK)

The German Communication Association has a Code of Ethics (COE) to ensure that all research, teaching, and professional conduct are of the highest standards. The members of the German Communication Association avow to their social responsibility and thus oblige to base their scientific, educational, and professional work on the association’s COE.

Responsible Conduct in Research and Teaching

The COE aims to sensitize members to the ethical issues related to their work and to encourage the critical reflection of their professional conduct. Members with teaching responsibilities in Germany’s higher education system are asked to convey the principles of the COE to their students and ensure their ethical behavior in research and professional conduct.

Guiding Principles

General principles of the COE are the agreed moral norms of our modern society, namely fairness, respect for and responsible conduct with people, commitment to truthful and transparent research and publication practices, social responsibility, the mandate of democratically-oriented research and teaching, as well as a regard for nature and nature’s limited resources.

The COE outlines the principles for the work of the DGPuK’s Ethics Committee. Individuals who bring complaints before the Ethics Committee must not experience disadvantages from their actions.

The DGPuK’s Code of Ethics is in agreement with current COEs by neighboring disciplines such as the German Sociological Association, the German Association for Political Science, and the German Educational Research Association.