Research Misconduct

 
Research integrity is central to research and scholarship pursuits at the University of Chicago. The University’s Policy on Research Misconduct describes the procedures the University follows for investigating allegations of research misconduct, which is defined as fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results. Research misconduct does not include honest error or differences of opinion, and this Policy does not apply to authorship or collaboration disputes that do not involve allegations of research misconduct. 

As stated in the 1998 Report of the Provost’s Committee on Academic Fraud:

Academic fraud1 is a threat to the intellectual integrity on which the advancement of knowledge depends. [It] can taint the reputation of the University and of its honest scholars and researchers. It can compromise the position of collaborators, subordinates, and supervisors. Fraudulent scholarship can lead other investigators down fruitless paths of inquiry, with potentially enormous sacrifices in knowledge, morale, careers, time, and money. Its occurrence places great strains on collegial interaction.

Accordingly, it is the University’s expectation that good faith allegations of research misconduct will be brought to the University’s Research Integrity Officer or to the Vice Provost for Research for review. Similarly, if an individual is unsure whether a suspected incident falls within the definition of research misconduct, they may meet with or contact the Research Integrity Officer and/or the Vice Provost for Research to discuss the matter informally.

 

1Prior to adoption of this Policy on Research Misconduct, the University of Chicago’s related policies used the term “Academic Fraud” to describe instances of fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism.