Ombudsperson

In accordance with the rules of the Max Planck Society, the Institute's scientific staff elect a neutral, qualified ombudsperson with personal integrity every three years to advise them on issues of good scientific practice and to act as a point of contact in cases of conflict.

The Rules of Good Scientific Practice were adopted by the Scientific Council of the Max Planck Society and approved by its Senate. Their content largely reflects the hitherto valid self-understanding of science and scholarship. However, competition to obtain the best results in the fastest time and to secure research funding makes a firmer basis necessary to ensure fairness and compliance.

The rules cover the principles of scientific work and scholarship. They deal with methods, rights and obligations in publications, possible conflicts of interest, training and supervision of young scientists and scholars, and, finally, in Article 9, the ombudsman system. Today, these rules are an integral part of employment contracts at the MPG and their main task is to provide scientists and scholars with guidance. They are part of the tools of the trade of basic training and make the principles of scientific work and scholarship transparent from the outset. In cases of conflict, they offer a reliable foundation for their resolution.

Dr. Mirjam Neusius was elected Ombudsperson of the Bibliotheca Hertziana on 17 May 2024 in a run-off election for a term of office of three years lasting until 2027.