Research Misconduct

I. POLICY AND GENERAL STATEMENT

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (“University”) strives to create a research climate that promotes faithful adherence to high ethical standards in the conduct of research. Research misconduct is an offense that damages not only the reputations of those involved and the University but also the reputation of the entire academic community.

Research misconduct means fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results. Research misconduct does not include honest errors or differences of opinion. The University relies heavily on a sample policy published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Research Integrity (ORI) entitled “Sample Policy and Procedures for Responding to Allegations of Research Misconduct;” this sample policy complies with the revised PHS Policies on Research Misconduct (42 CFR Part 93) that became effective January 1, 2025.

This policy applies to all individuals at the University who are engaged in research.  This includes any person paid by, under the control of, or affiliated with the University, such as scientists, trainees, technicians and other staff members, students, fellows, residents, visiting scholars, and guest researchers at the University.

To maintain the integrity of research projects, every person engaged in research must keep adequate records of all experimental protocols, data, and findings for the time period required by the University’s Records Retention Schedule or the funding agency, whichever is longer.

Any inquiry or investigation of allegations of misconduct in research will proceed promptly and with due regard for the reputation and rights of all individuals involved. The University will take all reasonable steps to assure that 1) persons involved in the evaluation of the allegations and evidence have appropriate expertise, 2) no person involved in the evaluation is either biased against the accused person(s) or has a conflict of interest, and 3) affected individuals receive confidential treatment to the maximum extent possible.

II. DEFINITIONS

Fabrication: Fabrication means making up data or results and recording or reporting them.[i]

Falsification: 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: Plagiarism means the appropriation of ideas, processes, results, or words, without giving appropriate credit. (a) Plagiarism includes the unattributed verbatim or nearly verbatim copying of sentences and paragraphs  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. (b) 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.

[i] § 93.211.

III. PROCEDURE

A.  Applicability

Self-plagiarism and authorship disputes do not meet the definition of research misconduct.

These policies and procedures apply only to research misconduct occurring within six years of the date the University receives an allegation of research misconduct, subject to the following exceptions: 

The six-year time limitation does not apply if the respondent continues or renews any incident of alleged research misconduct that occurred before the six-year period through the use of, republication of, or citation to the portion(s) of the research record alleged to have been fabricated, falsified, or plagiarized, for the potential benefit of the respondent (“subsequent use exception”). For alleged research misconduct that appears to be subject to this subsequent use exception, but the University later determines is not subject to the exception, the University will document its determination that the subsequent use exception does not apply and will retain this documentation for the later of seven years after completion of the institutional proceeding or the completion of any HHS proceeding.

The six-year time limitation also does not apply if ORI or the University, following consultation with ORI, determines that the alleged research misconduct, if it occurred, would possibly have a substantial adverse effect on the health or safety of the public.

B. Guidelines and Procedures

The University has adopted specific procedures and guidelines for handling allegations of research misconduct as described in the attached “Appendix A: Guidelines and Procedures for Allegations of Research Misconduct.”

IV. CONTACTS

• • Office of Senior Vice President for Research Strategy and Innovation

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