Hertogh, Marc; Kirkham, Richard --- "An agenda for future research: towards a general ‘ombuds-science’" [2018] ELECD 1081; in Hertogh, Marc; Kirkham, Richard (eds), "Research Handbook on the Ombudsman" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2018) 508

Book Title: Research Handbook on the Ombudsman

Editor(s): Hertogh, Marc; Kirkham, Richard

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN: 9781786431240

Section: Chapter 27

Section Title: An agenda for future research: towards a general ‘ombuds-science’

Author(s): Hertogh, Marc; Kirkham, Richard

Number of pages: 9

Abstract/Description:

Based on a review of the chapters in this book, this concluding chapter asks: what are the biggest future challenges for the ombudsman? And what will be the most significant challenges for future ombudsman research? The chapter argues that three major societal trends can be identified that will also have ongoing implications for the future position of the ombudsman: globalization; juridification; and contestation. It makes the argument that these developments should also have implications for future ombudsman research. Shifting our attention from ‘ombudsman and society’ to ‘ombudsman in society,’ the chapter discusses three major objectives for future ombudsman studies: more theory; more empirical research; and more comparative research. Finally, the claim is made that the biggest challenge for future research is to develop a general ‘ombuds-science’: a dedicated, interdisciplinary and integrated academic approach to analyse all aspects of the ombudsman.