What can I find in INKA?
INKA presents a wide range of exemplary real-life models from German higher education institutions and non-university research institutions in a searchable database format. Making gender equality a sustainable reality in the research community requires a comprehensive concept for gender equity and increasing the proportion of women at all levels of academia. INKA provides a structured information base for all research institutions and in particular gender equality officers, showcasing ways in which gender equality concepts can be implemented and refined in practice. It provides you with ideas and inspiration for the design of your gender equality objectives or policies. It reveals the latest developments and trends in gender equality at German higher education institutions and research institutions. Information about searching in INKA, the different online views and output formats can be found here.
How often is INKA updated?
Formal updating
The descriptions of measures as well as the links of the institutions are checked by GESIS at least semi-annually with a semi-automated procedure to ensure that they are up-to-date.
Updating of content
Until March 2023, GESIS regularly reviewed the content of the measures contained in INKA and compared them with new measures. For this purpose, extensive research was conducted at selected higher education institutions. The basis of the research was the ranking of higher education institutions by gender aspects, which is published by GESIS every two years. The researched measures were then analyzed as part of a quality review and compared with the existing measures.
As of April 2023, GESIS no longer performs regular content updates. However, universities as well as non-university research institutions can still submit proposals independently via the proposal form, which are then reviewed by GESIS. For the criteria for selection, see here.
What are similar measures?
As well as the selected models, INKA includes similar measures to illustrate the breadth of gender equality measures. Similar measures are measures which are judged to be of a high enough quality to be added to the database, but not of the same exemplary character as the selected models. They are included to complement the selected models they are linked to. They appear with the name of the institution, title and link to the measure and can be found with the keyword search using the name and/or location of the higher education institution or non-university research institution.
What are “innovative models”?
INKA allows you to search for particularly outstanding models. These models differ from the rest in that they address current problems or offer new and innovative approaches. By selecting “Innovative models” you can limit the results to these models. They are indicated by a blue flag.
What are the minimum requirements for proposing a measure?
Gender equality measures put forward for inclusion in INKA must satisfy the following criteria:
How can I propose a model for inclusion in INKA?
We are looking forward to receiving your suggestions for successful measures that have been tested at your institution. New measures and hints to already posted models keep INKA up-to-date and attractive. Gender equality officers at higher education institutions and non-university research institutions in Germany are encouraged to actively submit examples of relevant measures using the “Proposal form” section. Here you will find a form and guidelines on submitting measures.
To present a model in sufficient detail, the following information is included in INKA:
If there are any similar measures in the database, these are also shown along with the title, name of the institution and link/URL.
How will GESIS review my proposed measure?
First the proposal is checked. If there are any questions or the information provided is incomplete, it is returned for revision. After the proposal has been checked, GESIS decides whether to include it or not. You will be notified as to whether your proposal was accepted or not.
If the decision is positive, the measure will be translated into English and then added to INKA in both German and English. INKA is updated every six months, so it may take up to six months before a selected model becomes available online. You will receive a message from GESIS when your measure is available online. GESIS reserves the right to remove models again or change their status if necessary.
What criteria are used to select measures?
Gender equality measures included in INKA go through a quality-assured selection process. The aim is to showcase the variety of tested and innovative real-life examples and make them accessible in a searchable database.
The proposed gender equality measures are not evaluated, but analyzed and appraised on the basis of the available information.
The key selection criteria are, where apparent:
The presentation of an institution’s gender equality activities on the web and the scope of published information about the assessment criteria listed above also play an important role. The content of INKA is selected according to the principle of “variety, not bulk”.
A separate quality assurance concept was designed for non-university research institutions due to the lack of comparability with higher education institutions. It is based on the concept for higher education institutions but it has been adapted and scaled back. The measures undertaken by research institutions are therefore only compared with one another and not with the previously added measures undertaken by higher education institutions.
The appraisal process also incorporates thematic clusters, which group together measures that are thematically similar. Measures within a cluster are appraised and weighted in a separate assessment process. For example, the Mentoring cluster is subject to the quality standards of Forum Mentoring, such as the suitability of mentoring, institutional integration, forms of mentoring, selection process and the content of the mentoring process. Established quality standards also apply in other clusters, for example the standards of Dual Career Netzwerk Deutschland.
How can I search for measures?
To facilitate your search for models and similar measures in the INKA there are three filters, which can be combined if required.
A summary of the selected options appears above the list of results (breadcrumbs). You can use this to remove individual filters again.
1. How does the select function work?
“Search by field of action” allows you to select particular categories. You can search for the following:
Each of these fields of action includes various categories. When you have selected a field of action, you can then select one or more categories.
2. How does the search function work?
Here you can enter one or more terms to search the INKA. Entering several terms will produce a shorter list of results because the search terms are connected by the logical operator AND. So searching for “Mentoring Postdoc” will only generate hits that cover both “Mentoring” and “Postdoc”.
However, you can also specify your own logical links. The available options are:
3. How can I further narrow down the selection and/or search?
To further narrow down your results you can combine various criteria. For example, in addition to the categories under “Select by field of action” or a search term, you can select (several) different institution types, target groups, subject groups and/or federal states.
The subject groups of humanities and social sciences, life sciences, natural sciences and engineering sciences correspond to the DFG’s classification system. In addition, there are the filters “STEM” and “Medicine”, as these subjects or subject groups are mentioned particularly frequently in the descriptions of the gender equality measures.
How does the select function work?
“Search by field of action” allows you to select particular categories. You can search for the following:
Each of these fields of action includes various categories. When you have selected a field of action, you can then select one or more categories.
How can I remove a filter?
If you want to deactivate a filter or filters, there are three ways of doing this:
How does the list of results work?
If no filters are selected, all models are shown in the list of results. When you select a filter or enter a search term, the list of results is narrowed down.
You can view the results one page at a time. You can also specify how many results are shown on one page and how they are sorted. You can sort by title or date and in ascending or descending order.
How can I view the detailed information about a model?
In the list of results you can click on the title of a model to open a detailed description of the measure. At the end of the detailed information is a link which allows you to open the detailed view in a new window or tab, depending on your browser setting.
How can I create a link to a model?
The link to the detailed view in a separate window does not change, so it can be used as a permanent link, for example on your website. You can use this URL to create a link to your model on your institution’s website.
You can download the following logo and use it on your homepage to advertise your model in INKA.
(10.06 kB)
If you’re using the logo, please inform us by sending an e-mail to inka(at)gesis(dot)org.
How to view a model in a separate window and thus the corresponding URL is described under “How can I view the detailed information about a model?”.
What kind of browser do I need?
The site programming is based on CSS validated to W3C standards, which can be used with standard browsers (such as Firefox, Chrome, Edge or Microsoft Internet Explorer) in the standard configuration (CSS and JavaScript enabled) without adaptations.
Do I need JavaScript?
Yes. However, in the interests of accessibility the user interface has been designed to allow operation without a mouse. To make any changes to the search you must activate a button or explicitly confirm a link.
What software is used for INKA?
INKA is based solely on open source software.
Is INKA fully accessible?
INKA offers a high level of accessibility and intuitive usability. The level of accessibility has been verified by a BITV test and scored 97.25 out of 100 points.
It features the following elements, which comply with the Ordinance on Accessible Information Technology (BITV) introduced in Germany on 24 July 2002:
INKA supports readability through high contrast font and the option of controlling the font size. A clear structure is achieved through the separation of content and design and the consistent identification of hyperlinks.
