Research misconduct is defined as fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results.
Fabrication means making up data or results and recording or reporting them.
Falsification means 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.
Plagiarism means the appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit. Plagiarism includes the unattributed verbatim or nearly verbatim copying of sentences and paragraphs from another's work that materially misleads the reader regarding the contributions of the author. It does not include the limited use of identical or nearly identical phrases that describe a commonly used methodology. Plagiarism does not include self-plagiarism or authorship or credit disputes, including disputes among former collaborators who participated jointly in the development or conduct of a research project.
Research misconduct does not include honest error or differences of opinion.
Reporting Potential Research Misconduct
USU employees or students who learn of potential Research Misconduct are encouraged to submit a claim for appropriate review. Claims can be submitted through:
- USU’s Research Integrity and Compliance Office
- 435-797-0485
- compliance@usu.edu
- USU’s Ethics & Compliance Hotline
- A Dean, Director, or Department Head, who has a duty to pass the claim to the Research Integrity & Compliance Office
Research Misconduct Procedures
All Research Misconduct allegations will be reviewed pursuant to USU’s Procedure for Addressing Allegations of Research Misconduct. USU’s procedures comply with the regulatory standards established by the U.S. Public Health Services (42 C.F.R. Part 93) and the National Science Foundation (45 C.F.R. Part 689).
Artificial Intelligence in Research
As the technical capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI) advance, its use in research is becoming more prevalent. Some federal agencies now consider falsification, fabrication, or plagiarism resulting from the use of AI tools to constitute research misconduct. Because AI tools can create these risks, faculty and student researchers are strongly encouraged to proceed cautiously before deploying AI tools in their research. Please review USU’s AI in Research webpage for additional guidance on AI-related risks and restrictions.