The guidelines received from sources of third-party funding, including the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG), contain instructions for documenting the results of a funded project in a final report. The work invested in these reports often receives little recognition. What ultimately counts for researchers are the findings and publications that emerge from a project. The funding decision is already made. Administratively, project management and supervision end when the funding period expires.
The DFG therefore aims to provide a computerized index of final reports on DFG-funded projects. Within this project, a reporting structure was developed that facilitates the preparation of final report documents and systematically compiles information that is relevant for evaluation. The final purpose of the project is to allow for parts of the report to be realized on the Internet in conjunction with GEPRIS (“Geförderte Projekte Informationssystem”), an Internet system that facilitates access to research projects and their supporting data through full-text research.