Evaluation of the German Data Forum (2009)

The German Data Forum was praised for making a significant contribution to the improvement of research access to official statistics data since its founding in 2004. With regard to the strategic development of the data infrastructure in the social, behavioural and economic sciences, the Council came to the conclusion that the German Data Forum had fulfilled its advisory function to the federal government “in a competent manner”.

Push for increased internationalisation

The German Council of Science and Humanities also recommended that the German Data Forum should take on the role of a “frontrunner” in advancing German interests together with international partners on the European and international level: “The German Data Forum is to pursue a more active strategy on the global stage and to contribute to the internationalization of research data centers and data service centers, in addition to strengthening its own international activities. The German Data Forum should act as an antenna for relevant infrastructure developments and effectively represent the interests of German data providers and users.”

• Recommendations on Research Infrastructures in Humanities and Social Sciences
  German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat), 28 01 11
• Science-Policy Statement on the Status and Future Development of the German Council for Social and Economic Data (RatSWD), Berlin
  German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat), 13 11 09