Building on progress. Expanding the research infrastructure for the social, economic, and behavioral sciences. Vol. 1

Abstract

This compendium is published in two volumes divided into three main parts. The first part presents the German Data Forum's recommendations on the further development of the research infrastructure for the social, economic, and behavioral sciences. One of the overarching goals of these recommendations – and of the German Data Forum itself – is to create optimal infrastructural conditions in Germany for innovative research both at universities and independent research institutes and within the system of official statistics and government research institutes. This requires that researchers in all these institutions be equipped with the capabilities and tools they need to create and access databases in Germany and abroad. A second and equally important goal is to create and cultivate a research environment that allows young scholars, official researchers, and official statisticians with innovative ideas to achieve their full potential. A vibrant, structurally sound, and highly productive research environment cannot be created using a top-down approach: the impetus must come from the research community itself. Scholars as well as official statisticians and researchers need formal procedures that promote competition and allow research entrepreneurship to flourish. The recommendations contained in Part I of this publication seek to facilitate these processes by communicating the needs of scientific researchers and statisticians to policy-makers and by promoting dialog among the various institutions involved. The second part of this publication, also contained in the first volume, provides "executive summaries" of all of the advisory reports, including detailed recommendations on how to meet current and future data needs. The summaries serve to provide the reader with a compact overview of current issues and needs in each research field. (DIPF/Orig.)