Compliance

Research Ethics Resource Center - 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.

Abstract , The Voice of Experience by Robert L. Sprague, 1998. Science and Engineering Ethics 4, no. 1.
Fraud in Scientific Research
Research Misconduct source: 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
Lightly Annotated Selected Bibliography of Research Misconduct by C.K. Gunsalus

Research Misconduct by Columbia University
Provides 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.
Institutional Responsibility by University of Montana

What should WMU personnel do?
Responding to Violations of Ethical Standards source: On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research, National Academy of Sciences
Complainant Issues in Research Misconduct: The Office of Research Integrity Experience by Chris B. Pascal, Experimental Biology and Medicine

Questions? Email our research compliance coordinator.