Publications

Hostility towards science has emerged as a significant challenge in contemporary science communication, particularly in increasingly politicised and digitally mediated public environments. Scholars across diverse disciplines are confronted with harassment, delegitimisation, political interference, disinformation, and personal attacks, especially when engaging in public communication. This editorial introduces the JCOM commentary set “Scholars Under Attack” and situates hostility towards science within broader transformations of media ecosystems, political polarisation, and contested epistemic authority.

In this commentary, we examine patterns of attacks against scholars focusing on the case of Germany. Drawing on the responses to open and closed questions in a recent survey of 2,600 German researchers, we identify context- and field-specific patterns of science hostility. While most responding researchers do not experience severe attacks, those engaged in specific fields may be at a higher risk of being threatened. We argue that attacks on researchers may not be perceived as acts of hostility against scientific institutions but rather emerge in the context of controversial topics.

The DZHW Panel Study: Careers of PhD Holders 2014 is a panel study of the DZHW concerning the careers of doctoral graduates. The study analyses how the formal context as well as the learning and development conditions that PhD graduates experienced during their doctorate studies influence the transition into employment and the further development of their professional career, both within as well as outside academia. The basic population comprises all persons who obtained a doctorate degree from a higher education institution with the right to award doctorates in Germany in the examination year of 2014.The panel is designed as a census in order to generate a sufficiently [...] Full Abstract: https://doi.org/10.21249/DZHW:phd2014:5.0.0

German academia has faced multiple changes over the last two decades, including new academic pathways to full professorship inspired by the Anglo-Saxon academic system, such as junior professorship and tenure track. Our study investigates the patterns of academic career trajectories to full professorship that have emerged subsequently. We illuminate the relationship between those “career types” and their determinants. Using data from the prof*panel (N = 660) and sequence-cluster analysis, we find four academic career clusters. Our findings suggest that traditional career paths still play a major role, although the influence of internationalization and novel academic career steps, like junior professorship, is growing.

There is a growing need for procedural quality assurance in appointment procedures for professorships in the face of increasing pressure regarding accountability for example in the context of New Public Management reforms. In response, universities are creating positions for appointment officers. This cumulative dissertation examines the procedural quality assurance of appointment procedures for professorships at German universities with a particular focus on the newly implemented position of appointment managers. The cumulative thesis comprises three peer-reviewed academic articles, two transfer articles and the accompanying framework paper focusing on the multi-methodical research design.

Nacaps, the National Academics Panel Study, is a longitudinal study of doctoral candidates and doctorate holders in Germany funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) until 2024. The project aims at providing nationwide cross-sectional and longitudinal data on doctoral candidates and doctorate holders in Germany regarding their study conditions as well as their career trajectories within and outside of academia. The Nacaps study series apply a panel design to multiple cohorts. [...] Full Abstract: https://doi.org/10.21249/DZHW:nac2020:1.0.0

How are German universities coping with internationalization in the course of digital transformation? This article highlights increasing roles for IT staff and collaboration between administrative and academic personnel to enhance online delivery and partnerships. Digitalization offers potential but requires strategic integration; organizational support; digital literacy; and a holistic approach that promotes access, inclusion, diversity, and sustainable outcomes.