Policies

Research Misconduct

Three categories of activities are generally considered research misconduct. They are:

Falsification: misrepresentation of results;
Fabrication: reporting on experiments never performed; and
Plagiarism: taking the writings or ideas of another and representing them as one's own.

The National Science Foundation states that “other serious deviations from accepted practices” also constitute misconduct. Department of Health and Human Services also defines research misconduct.

Readings

Abstract , The Voice of Experience by Robert L. Sprague, 1998. Science and Engineering Ethics 4, no. 1.
Fraud in Scientific Research
Research Misconduct On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research, National Academy of Sciences
Avoiding Plagiarism, Self-Plagiarism, and Other Questionable Writing Practices: A Guide to Ethical Writing by St. Johns University

Online courses

The below links provide information to researchers about what constitutes misconduct, how to report it, how institutions can deal with it, and how to identify practices that might decrease the risk of unwitting or deliberate research misconduct. Material presented in a fashion that encourages engagement in the process of ethical decision making. Includes case studies, Q&A and opportunities for reflection.

Research Misconduct by Columbia University
Institutional Responsibility by University of Montana

Research misconduct! What can you do next?

Complainant Issues in Research Misconduct: The Office of Research Integrity Experience by Chris B. Pascal, Experimental Biology and Medicine

Whistleblowing

Whistleblower’s Bill of Rights , Office of Research Integrity.
How to Blow the Whistle and Still Have a Career Afterwards by C.K. Gunsalus, 1998, Science and Engineering Ethics 4:51–64.
Preventing the Need for Whistleblowing: Practical Advice for University Administrators by C.K. Gunsalus, 1998, Science and Engineering Ethics 4:75–94.