What Constitutes Scientific Misconduct?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The U.S. Office of Research Integrity defines research misconduct as “

fabrication, falsification, or in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results

.” … Similarly, not all inaccurate reports of data are the result of misconduct.

What is considered scientific misconduct?

Forms. The U.S. National Science Foundation defines three types of research misconduct:

fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism

. Fabrication is making up results and recording or reporting them. … Plagiarism is the appropriation of another person's ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit.

What are examples of scientific misconduct?


Making up data or results (fabrication)

, changing or misreporting data or results (falsification), and using the ideas or words of another person without giving appropriate credit (plagiarism)—all strike at the heart of the values on which science is based.

What is the most common form of scientific misconduct?


Plagiarism

is, perhaps, the most common form of research misconduct. Researchers must be aware to cite all sources and take careful notes. Using or representing the work of others as your own work constitutes plagiarism, even if committed unintentionally.

What are the 3 types of research misconduct?

In accordance with U.S. federal policy, there are three forms of research misconduct:

plagiarism, fabrication, and falsification

.

Who investigates research misconduct?


Research institutions

will notify the funding agency (or agencies in some cases) of an allegation of research misconduct if (1) the allegation involves Federally funded research (or an application for Federal funding) and meets the Federal definition of research misconduct given above, and (2) if the institution's …

What can be done to prevent scientific misconduct?

The best way to prevent research misconduct is to

become aware of best practices in the Responsible Conduct of Research

. Consultation with senior research colleagues, as well as School and campus leaders, are invaluable resources. In addition, there is a variety of training and educational materials available online.

What are the reasons for committing research misconduct?

A range of possible reasons were posited: (1)

career and funding pressures

, (2) institutional failures of oversight, (3) commercial conflicts of interest, (4) inadequate training, (5) erosion of standards of mentoring, and (6) part of a larger pattern of social deviance.

How frequent is scientific misconduct?

Although not much is known about the prevalence of scientific misconduct, several studies with limited methods have estimated that the prevalence of scientists who have been involved in scientific misconduct ranges from

1% to 2%

.

How do you identify publication misconduct?

In general, reasonable citation was deemed when the number of overlapping words for a paper with the literature does not exceed 200. If a significant amount of overlapping text

(e.g., an overlap >5% or a similarity>50%)

is found, we will immediately verify if the manuscript is associated with publication misconduct.

What is an example of falsification?

Examples of falsification include:

Presenting false transcripts or references in application for a program

. Submitting work which is not your own or was written by someone else. Lying about a personal issue or illness in order to extend a deadline.

What is deliberate falsification?

Falsification is

the act of deliberately lying about or misrepresenting something

. If you write a note to your teacher excusing your absence the day before and claim it was written by your dad, that's falsification.

How common is research misconduct?

The perception among many scientists is that cases of severe misconduct are

relatively rare

when held up against the sheer amount of scientific output. … In the study, one per cent of scientists surveyed admitted to fabricating or falsifying their own data at least once in their career.

What is research misconduct explain with examples?

The U.S. Office of Research Integrity defines research misconduct as “

fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results

.”

2

. The concepts of negligence and deceit are central to the definition of research misconduct.

What are the consequences of misconduct?

Non-compliance with rules can result in disciplinary actions, including

suspension and termination of professional licenses

, and civil law suits, which may result in substantial financial loss. The most common principle among professional code of conduct is that of honesty, trust and full disclosure.

What is rectifying research misconduct?

The Federal Research Misconduct Policy defines data fabrication as “making up data or results and recording or reporting them.” Falsification is “manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record. …

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.