Office German Data Forum (RatSWD)

The Berlin Social Science Center (WZB) is responsible for managing the business of the German Data Forum (RatSWD). The German Data Forum is part of the Consortium for Social, Behavioral, Educational and Economic Sciences (KonsortSWD) in the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI).

Established in 2004, the German Data Forum (Rat für Sozial- und Wirtschaftsdaten, RatSWD) is an independent council. It advises the German federal government and the federal states (Länder) in matters concerning the research data infrastructure for the empirical social, behavioural, and economic sciences. The German Data Forum (RatSWD) has 20 members. Membership consists of ten elected representatives of the social, behavioural, and economic sciences and ten appointed representatives of Germany’s most important data producers.

The German Data Forum (RatSWD) offers a forum for dialogue between researchers and data producers, who jointly issue recommendations and position papers. The council furthers the development of a research infrastructure that provides researchers with flexible and secure access to a broad range of data. The German Data Forum (RatSWD) has accredited 41 research data centres and fosters their interaction and collaboration.

More information can be found on the RatSWD website.