Central department

The central department is responsible for the general coordination of the DRZE and its different projects. This includes processing all administrative tasks, financial and human resource management, public relations, and organizing conferences and events, as well as editorial support of publications.

Scientific department

The task of the scientific department consists in compiling lists of relevant literature, preparation of summaries of different positions, as well as outlining recent scientific developments concerning current bioethical problems. The department is also responsible for the elaboration of qualified scientific expertise, scientific edition of DRZE publications, and the conceptual design of scientific symposia and conferences.

Digital department

The digital department is in charge of developing new digital tools for a scientific presentation of information. Among its tasks are: the expansion of the integrative literature database in the field of ethics in the life sciences in form of a digital library. Furthermore, the digital department also supports the DRZE web-server and intranet.

Library

The Specialist library and documentation centre of the DRZE collects relevant national and international published monographs, collective works, reference works, journals, newspaper articles, legal documents and grey literature, which is not published commercially (e.g. ethical codes and directives, statements, theses, research reports, surveys, proceedings, or parliamentary publications).

DRZE Services

The specialist library and documentation

The DRZE library comprises books, documents and professional journals in the area of bioethics and ethics in the sciences. It provides the opportunity to gather information and study on site. It also makes information available via the DRZE's web pages.

The databases

The following databases can be accessed via the DRZE's web pages:

• the integrated bioethics literature database BELIT
• the bioethics press review
• a diary of bioethics Events
• an annotated and structured list of Bioethics-links of sites relevant to ethics in the life sciences

Value-added Information and Publications

Taking into account the different informational needs of various users DRZE provides topical information on current issues in bioethics in a number of different, user-oriented formats:

• the online information In Focus deals with the most current issues in bioethics and gives a brief and accurate overview of the scientific, legal and moral aspects of ongoing debates; they are presented in form of short introductory texts and contain notes on some further literature as well as relevant links including further internet information services offered by the DRZE.
• The series Ethics in the life sciences - DRZE expert reports offers in-depth reports on central bioethical issues comprising detailed bibliographical notes.
• Guidelines, laws and statements on particular issues are collected in a Dossier. If appropriate, updated editions will cover recent developments in the debate.
• The trilingual Thesaurus Ethics in the Life Sciences affords assistance with the systematical indexing of bioethical documents.

Scientific Conferences and Workshops

The DRZE plans and organizes different types of scientific conferences and workshops for researchers as well as key groups such as journalists, teachers and parliamentarians. The aim is to inform about the latest developments in bioethics, to stimulate the interdisciplinary discourse, and to support the public debate about bioethical issues.