Osteuropaforschung in der Verantwortung: Forschungsethik während Russlands Krieg gegen die Ukraine

With the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022, the question of the effectiveness of research on Eastern Europe has taken on a new urgency. How can research help to categorise political and social developments? What kind of research is even possible during war? What roles do researchers play in time of war? In this ZOiS Report, we show which research ethics challenges have arisen or intensified since the outbreak of war, how they influence research, and how we as researchers and members of the Ethics Committee at ZOiS deal with them. Using concrete examples from our research practice – research in Ukraine and on Russia, the communication of research findings and the positioning of scientists in public discourse – we will present problems, negotiation processes and possible solutions.

We are convinced that democracies need scientific expertise. We believe it is important that politics and society not only take note of research findings, but also become aware of their research ethics dimensions. In this ZOiS Report, we have provided some insights into this topic, but our explanations are not exhaustive. Rather, a permanent process of negotiating research ethics issues in conjunction with legal and practical requirements and research interests remains a central component of any research discipline that is aware of its social responsibility.