The Network of Research Integrity Offices in Germany has developed a handbook for ombudspersons, which was published in July 2023. The handbook provides an overview of the tasks of ombudspersons in academia and is an introduction to the work of ombudspersons.

The handout can also be downloaded from Zenodo under the following DOI in a German and English version: https://zenodo.org/records/13347126.

In addition, a template of the handbook can be downloaded here as a Word document. With the help of key questions and background information, the handbook can be supplemented or concretized with institution-specific regulations (this also includes the insertion of the respective institution’s logo on the cover page of the handbook). In this way, the handbook can serve future generations of ombudspersons as an introduction their office. If you have any questions about adapting the template, please contact the office of the Ombuds Committee for Research Integrity in Germany.

An example of a local adaptation of the handbook can be found here at Freie Universität Berlin.

The handbook is based on a previous version written by Dr Katharina Beier, Head of the Ombuds Office for Good Research Practice at the University of Göttingen, for the ombudspersons at her institution. At the suggestion of other ombuds offices, the work was revised and expanded by the Network of Research Integrity Offices so that it is available in general form to all ombudspersons in academia in Germany.

You can find out more about the network of ombudsperson offices in science in Germany here.

Photo by Omar Flores via unsplash.