Concerns about research integrity
The definitions and types of research integrity breaches
Breaches of research integrity occurs when there is a deviation from accepted practice. Breaches of research integrity, where there is a serious deviation from accepted practice that is intentional, reckless, or negligent, are also described as research misconduct.
Research misconduct is defined by the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research. Research misconduct is generally distinct from other forms of professional misconduct, such as bullying and sexual harassment. Research misconduct does not include honest errors or differences in academic judgement.
This page describes some examples of what may be considered research misconduct.
Fabrication
Making up data, source material, methodologies or findings, including graphs and images;
Falsification
Manipulating, changing or omitting data, source material, methodologies or findings, including graphs and images, without acknowledgement and which results in inaccurate findings or conclusions;
Destruction of research records
The destruction of one’s own or another’s research data or records to specifically avoid the detection of wrongdoing or in contravention of the applicable funding agreement, institutional policy and/or laws, regulations and professional or disciplinary standards;
Plagiarism
Presenting and using another’s published or unpublished work, including theories, concepts, data, source material, methodologies or findings, including graphs and images, as one’s own, without appropriate referencing and without permission when permission is required;
Redundant publications
The republication of one’s own previously published work or part there of, or data, in the same or another language, without adequate acknowledgment of the source, or justification;
Invalid authorship
Inaccurate attribution of authorship, including attribution of authorship to persons other than those who have contributed sufficiently to take responsibility for the intellectual content, or agreeing to be listed as author to a publication for which one made little or no material contribution;
Inadequate acknowledgement
Failure to appropriately recognise contributions of others in a manner consistent with their respective contributions and authorship policies of relevant publications;
Mismanagement of conflict of interest
Failure to appropriately manage any real, potential or perceived conflict of interest, in accordance with the University’s policy on conflict of interest in research;
Misrepresentation in a research proposal
Providing incomplete, inaccurate or false information in a grant or award application or related document, such as a letter of support or a progress report;
Mismanagement of research funds
Using research funds such as contract, grant or award funds, for purposes inconsistent with the agreement; misappropriating research, grant or award funds; or providing incomplete, inaccurate or false information on documentation for expenditures from grant or award accounts.
I have a concern, what do I do?
If you have a concern about research conduct at the University of Melbourne, you may wish to familiarise yourself with our processes that address breaches of research integrity, or contact us or an RIA.
Research Integrity Advisors
If you want discipline-specific advice about research practice, or feel uncertain about something, you can talk to a Research Integrity Advisor.