diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a89ffdab632a2cd881f66cb20e1f154c17cc9387..d2bd7089a35ed5496464734e2026397e3a802baa 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 .*
 !/.git*
 
+# backup files
+*~
+
 # extracted libraries
 /libs/**
 !/libs/*.zip
diff --git a/.gitlab/issue_templates/default.md b/.gitlab/issue_templates/default.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..aa1a65aca363b87aff50280e1a86824009d2098b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitlab/issue_templates/default.md
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+## Summary
+
+*Please give a short summary of what the issue is.*
+
+## Expected Behavior
+
+*What did you expect how the software should behave?*
+
+## Actual Behavior
+
+*What did the software actually do?*
+
+## Steps to Reproduce the Problem
+
+*Please describe, step by step, how others can reproduce the problem.  Please try these steps for yourself on a clean system.*
+
+1.
+2.
+3.
+
+## Specifications
+
+- Version: *Which version of this software?*
+- Platform: *Which operating system, which other relevant software versions?*
+
+## Possible fixes
+
+*Do you have ideas how the issue can be resolved?*