Organisation Description - Germany German Reference Centre for Ethics in the Life Sciences (DRZE)

Contacts
Website: www.drze.de




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National Activities - Germany



Introduction

This organisation was founded in January 1999 for the development of bioethics research in Germany in response to the ethical and legal debate caused by developments in the life sciences and their application in medicine and biotechnology. Resolution of the new possibilities require careful evaluation, with a number of disciplines contributing relevant considerations to the process of opinion and judgement. Thus the interdisciplinary cooperation of researchers from the sciences, medicine, the law, philosphy, theology and the social sciences has become essential. At the same time, global research and its application necessitate an international dialogue. In addition, the speed of innovation in this area requires early consideration of the ethical, legal and social issues that arise.

An adequate culture of judgment formation commensurate with the complexity of the process described above can only develop if those involved in it have access to reliable, comprehensive and current information. Accordingly, in 1997 measures were implemented within the German Government to foster bioethical reflection and debate as a result of which guidelines for the funding of such a centre were prepared in 1998. The guidelines stipulated

• that it should maintain a central collection and access point for relevant information
• that it should be linked to an established research institution in the area of bioethics
• that it should cooperate internationally with other database providers.

The University of Bonn was given the task of setting up the centre and funding was approved for a period of five years.

Role and aims of the DRZE

The main role is in the central, comprehensive and current collection, documentation, provision and preparation of relevant national and international information, documents and literature on ethics in the life sciences, including relevant material from regarding legal, social and scientific issues. The centre aims to enable and facilitate access to such information and to highlight the German contributions to the international debate. The services of the DRZE are designed to meet the needs of researchers and teachers in the areas of the life sciences, medicine, ethics and the law .

The DRZE makes its services available through a modern reference library and the internet. The work of the DRZE assists in enhancing the conditions for the process of judgment formation; it neither can nor wants to replace that process.

Activities

Research The research department of the DRZE prepares the Bioethics digest (overviews of the debate and research in bioethics, including annotated literature lists and expert reviews). It also organises and hosts seminars and conferences, designed to inform the scientific community, the media, politicians and the public at large about new developments in bioethics. The department also advises the DRZE specialist library and documentation and prepares content for the online information services.

Electronic information services The department manages the online and in-house information services of the DRZE. Among its projects have been the development of the integrated bioethics literature database BELIT as well as technical support for the Bioethics Communication and Information System (BEKIS), Web-Server programming and management of the Reference Centre's in-house network.

Specialist library and documentation The specialist library and documentation is a core component of the DRZE's range of services. It provides the opportunity to gather information and study on site. It also makes information available via the DRZE's web pages. Currently, the collection comprises around 6000 books, 11500 documents, and 80 journals in subscription.

EURETHNET

DRZE is an Eurethnet project partner.

Contacts

Contact

• EURETHNET / German Reference Centre for Ethics in the Life Sciences (DRZ GERMANY