The Integrity of Scholarship

The Integrity of Scholarship

Policy Statement on Integrity in Scholarship and Procedures for Investigating Allegations of Misconduct in the Pursuit of Scholarship and Research

It is a fundamental responsibility of the faculty, staff, students, and administration of the University to maintain the trust of the public in all research and scholarly activity. Without integrity, the privilege of academic freedom intrinsic to scholarship and education could not be justified, nor could the advancements of knowledge that derive from free and open inquiry be provided to society. All members of our academic community share the responsibility to assure that misconduct in academic endeavors is dealt with in a timely and effective manner, and that the reputation of the University for high standards of scholarly integrity is preserved.

Misconduct or fraud in academic endeavors may be grounds for disciplinary action or even for termination of employment under appropriate University procedures. Such major offenses include the following:

(1) Fabrication of data: dishonesty in reporting results, ranging from fabrication of data, improper adjustment of results, and gross negligence in collecting or analyzing data to selective reporting or omission of conflicting data for deceptive purposes:

(2) Plagiarism: taking credit for someone else's work and ideas, stealing others' results or methods, copying the writing of others without proper acknowledgment, or otherwise falsely taking credit for the work or ideas of another;

(3) Abuse of confidentiality: taking or releasing the ideas or data of others which were shared with the legitimate expectation of confidentiality, e.g., stealing ideas from others' grant proposals, award applications, or manuscripts for publication when one is a reviewer for granting agencies or journals;

(4) Falsification in research: deliberately misrepresenting research, including the progress of research, to a research sponsor;

(5) Dishonesty in publication: knowingly publishing material that will mislead readers, e.g., misrepresenting data, particularly its originality, misrepresenting research progress, or adding the names of other authors without permission;

(6) Deliberate violation of regulations: flagrant and repeated failure to adhere to or to receive the approval required for work under research regulations of Federal, State, local or University agencies, including, but not limited to, guidelines for the: protection of human subjects; protection of animal subjects; use of recombinant DNA; use of radioactive material; use of hazardous chemicals or biologicals; conduct of classified research

(7) Property violations: stealing or destroying property of others, such as research papers, supplies, equipment, or products of research or scholarship;

(8) Failure to report observed major offenses: covering up or otherwise failing to report major offenses or breaches of research ethics by others that one has observed.

(9) Retaliation: taking punitive action against an individual for having reported alleged major offenses.

It is the responsibility of members of the scholarly community to avoid such misconduct in their own research or creative efforts and to report serious violations to University authorities according to the procedures outlined in the Policy Statement on Integrity in Scholarship.