diff --git a/screening/dist/admin/backup-config.sh b/screening/dist/admin/backup-config.sh
index bf6ab1d420dede1abcb9533e8fb8a6c661693d6a..e283dcb080acd6661258421ba1aab1d63a7771ab 100755
--- a/screening/dist/admin/backup-config.sh
+++ b/screening/dist/admin/backup-config.sh
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# makes a backup of all configuration files to the specified directory
+
 CONF=$1
 
 BASE=`dirname "$0"`
diff --git a/screening/dist/admin/install.sh b/screening/dist/admin/install.sh
index 88c32714df6f238c207a3a8467d4020750b70bbd..64b6bfc1876c1a753bb0af10dcbc35dfa83cfd94 100755
--- a/screening/dist/admin/install.sh
+++ b/screening/dist/admin/install.sh
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Installs openbis for screening for the first time. 
+# openbis will be installed in the parent directory of the directory where this script is located. 
 
 OPENBIS_DB=openbis_screening_mydb
 
diff --git a/screening/dist/admin/list-postgres-queries.sh b/screening/dist/admin/list-postgres-queries.sh
index 70ec12299030756fb14c8c13493b44b7a8959c98..9987e1732c5787235f9053a43bfa1d445f82c949 100755
--- a/screening/dist/admin/list-postgres-queries.sh
+++ b/screening/dist/admin/list-postgres-queries.sh
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
-DB=openbis_screening_dev
-psql -U $DB -c "select datname,procpid,usename,current_query,waiting,xact_start FROM pg_catalog.pg_stat_activity" 
+#!/bin/bash
+# lists all queries which are currently executed by the database engine
+
+psql -U openbis -c "select datname,procpid,usename,current_query,waiting,xact_start FROM pg_catalog.pg_stat_activity" 
diff --git a/screening/dist/admin/reset-display-settings.sh b/screening/dist/admin/reset-display-settings.sh
index 6ff2e803ca4fe7e206edf49e3631981eecff199a..bb5efb845a485d9f4f1168fcdba0211a4ad8e038 100755
--- a/screening/dist/admin/reset-display-settings.sh
+++ b/screening/dist/admin/reset-display-settings.sh
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Use with care!
+# Overrides all user display settings with the settings of the template user.
+
 DB=openbis_screening_mydb
 TEMPLATE_USER=openbis-user-name
 
diff --git a/screening/dist/admin/restore-config-from-backup.sh b/screening/dist/admin/restore-config-from-backup.sh
index 9504a8f62bad740433bc502169df47d7801cc1cc..ff33d3f9a6f6083f6bf6d55bacf1755dabb20763 100755
--- a/screening/dist/admin/restore-config-from-backup.sh
+++ b/screening/dist/admin/restore-config-from-backup.sh
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Overrides all configuration files with those which can be found in the specified config backup directory.
+# Assumes that openbis is installed in the parent directory of the directory where this script is located. 
+
 CONF=$1
 
 BASE=`dirname "$0"`
diff --git a/screening/dist/admin/upgrade.sh b/screening/dist/admin/upgrade.sh
index f9e35989fd26f519221b22d9d84929c1cd606031..18aa96b654349ec7d995b9019f01f13cc092b324 100755
--- a/screening/dist/admin/upgrade.sh
+++ b/screening/dist/admin/upgrade.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-# Updates openbis for screening. 
+#!/bin/bash
+# Upgrades openbis for screening. 
 # Assumes that openbis is installed in the parent directory of the directory where this script is located. 
 
 OPENBIS_DB=openbis_screening_lmc