Erschließung, Digitalisierung und Erforschung von medizinischen Dissertationen – rechtliche Herausforderungen [Dissify]
Indexing, digitization, and research of medical dissertations – legal challenges [Dissify]
Despite their academic significance, many historical medical dissertations remain difficult to access. This not only hampers contemporary research, but also limits the visibility and recognition of their original authors. To address this gap, an interdisciplinary pilot project focuses on the digitisation, legal assessment, and cataloguing of medical dissertations from the Baltic Sea region between 1880 and 1950.
Research objectives
- Development of a prototype for the automated identification of authors’ dates of death
- Assessment of the research potential of digitised dissertations for the history of science
- Preparation of a legal opinion on the comprehensive use of European dissertations, including their application in AI models
The project aims to make digitised dissertations accessible in a legally compliant and sustainable manner, particularly in light of current developments in artificial intelligence and large language models. A key priority is the enrichment of relevant metadata, especially to clarify copyright status through the identification of authors’ dates of death.
Networks and Prospects
The project is embedded in a broader network of pilot initiatives and maintains active exchange with the academic community. Its findings are intended not only to support other institutions through the development of practical guidelines, but also to lay the groundwork for a future European platform for doctoral theses.
In the long term, the project seeks to enhance the digital accessibility of historical doctoral theses and to restore their visibility and relevance within the research community.
Duration
1st October 2025 – 30th September 2027
External funding
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) / German Research Foundation - Projektnummer 565356721
Coordination project
Digitalisierung und Bereitstellung (noch) rechtebewehrter Objekte
Team
Principle investigators
WP 1: Dr. Miriam Albers, ZB Med. Informationszentrum Lebenswissenschaften, Köln (speaker)
WP 2: Prof. Dr. Nils Hansson, Institut für Geschichte, Theorie und Ethik der Medizin, Centre for Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
WP 3: Prof. Dr. Hannah Ruschemeier, Professur für Öffentliches Recht, Universität Osnabrück
Researcher
WP 1: Ali Shahid, N.N.
WP 2: Thorsten Halling, M.A.
WP 3: Trixie Kaja Dreis
Further team members
Prof. Dr. Dietrich Rebholz-Schuhmann, ZB Med. Informationszentrum Lebenswissenschaften, Köln
Doctoral candidates (Dr. med. / Dr. med. dent.) WP2, main supervisor Nils Hansson
Laura Klempp: Einhaltung ethischer Richtlinien bei der Vergabe von Co-Autorschaften in medizinischen Dissertationen
Maja Koschel: Trendthemen zahnmedizinischer Dissertationen 1919-1945: Eine sozialhistorische Analyse im Bestand der ZB MED
Ellen Schleicher: Die Dissertationskultur in der Zahnmedizin: Eine Analyse historischer Dissertationen im Zeitraum 1919-1945.
Sophie Lüttmann Ruiz: Modernisierungsschübe in der Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe im Spiegel von Dr. med.-Dissertationen um die Jahrhundertwende 1900
Outreach Dissify
Press / Blogs:
Doktortitel ohne Dissertationsschrift. Forschung und Lehre (Interview Nils Hansson 23.2.2026)
Hansson N. Braucht eine Promotion noch eine Dissertation? [Wiarda-Blog, 17.2.2026]
Hansson N. Måste en doktorsexamen bygga på en avhandling? Svenska Dagbladet 21.02.2026 https://www.svd.se/a/xr8Bzn/maste-en-doktorsexamen-bygga-pa-en-avhandling-skriver-nils-hansson
Hansson N. Risk för en snäv kunskapssyn. Svenska Dagbladet 27.02.2026 www.svd.se/a/wrAK0o/doktorsexamen-risk-for-en-snav-kunskapssyn-skriver-nils-hansson
Frobenius W, Hansson N. Zeugnis einer vergessenen Operation [Blogeintrag über historische Dissertationen, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe, February 2026]
Journal articles:
Moll FH, Tammiksaar E, Padrini G, Halling T, Hansson N. Eine frühe Dissertation zur Endourologie – Leben und Werk von Georg Adelmann (1811–1888). Urologie 64, 943–953 (2025).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00120-025-02653-y
Organized conferences:
European dissertation cultures in medicine. Düsseldorf, 03.09.2025 - 05.09.2025. Conference report by Seywan Bayram: www.hsozkult.de/conferencereport/id/fdkn-157765
Talks:
Hansson N. Passing on the scalpel – Reflections on task shifting in the history of surgery (a Dissify case study). Karolinska Institute/Uppsala University March 23, 2026. news.ki.se/calendar/globelife-seminar-desperate-times-call-for-pragmatic-solutions-passing-on-the-scalpel-for-population-health
Hansson N, Halling T, Ruschemeier H, Albers M: Dissify: Digitizing European doctoral dissertations. Lost in Abundance, Digital Humanities in the Nordic and Baltic 10th Conference (DHNB 2026), Aarhus, Denmark March 11, 2026.
Hansson N. Medizin im Ostseeraum Netzwerke seit 1925. Kongress (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Urologie), Hamburg, 17.9.2025.
Contact Düsseldorf team
Thorsten Halling, thorsten.halling@hhu.de
Nils Hansson, hansson@hhu.de