Ombudspersons

Governance

Ombudspersons

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Contents of this page:

• Principles of the role
• Description of the role

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What is a Programming Historian Ombudsperson?

Principles of the role

The ombudsperson acts independently of editorial decision-making processes. They are guided by principles of fairness, impartiality, and confidentiality, and aim to support constructive resolution of concerns wherever possible. Their role is focused on maintaining trust, transparency, and respectful collaboration across the journal community.

Description of the role

An ombudsperson is appointed to each journal team to help ensure that our publishing practices remain open, transparent, and fair.

They act as a point of contact for anyone with a concern or complaint relating to a process, policy, or an individual’s conduct. Contributors – including authors, editors, translators, and reviewers – may approach the ombudsperson in confidence, and doing so will not influence the outcome of peer review or editorial decisions.

Concerns raised may include, for example, dissatisfaction with the peer review process, requests for guidance on handling sensitive situations, or issues arising between members of the team.

When contacted, the ombudsperson may offer independent advice, help facilitate constructive resolution, or, where appropriate, raise concerns with relevant members of the editorial team while maintaining confidentiality as far as possible.

The ombudsperson does not proactively monitor or investigate matters. Rather, they agree to be named as a point of contact on the journal website and within peer review materials in our GitHub repository, and to offer independent perspective and guidance when approached.