Wissenschaftliche Integrität als öffentliches Interesse: Funktion und Regelungsstrukturen von Ombudsverfahren

What is the public interest in institutional protection of scientific integrity? Why do we institutionalize ombudsman procedures that are designed to help those working in science to avoid misconduct and to officially investigate initial suspicions of possible misconduct? These questions are by no means trivial. The following article shows that procedures for protecting scientific integrity serve the public interest in honest science. They are not instruments for enforcing individual rights. Accordingly, the procedure is designed to effectively clarify suspicions of scientific misconduct and thereby protect the functioning of science.