Research Integrity and Plagiarism

Ethics in Research

The Growing Importance in Community Colleges

January 18, 2008Peggy FischerOffice of Inspector GeneralNational Science Foundation

Definitions(Merriam-Webster)

College   an institution offering instruction usually in a professional, vocational, or

technical field gateway to postsecondary education for many women, minority, low

income, and first-generation postsecondary education students (http://www2.aacc.nche.edu/research/indexstudents.htm)

Educate to train by formal instruction and supervised practice especially in a skill,

trade, or profession; to develop mentally, morally, or aesthetically

Integrity firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values Applies equally to all participating in system

Context

Demographics ~50% of all undergrads attend community colleges >11 million students ~50% of first-time freshmen ~40% are first generation to attend college ~40% of international undergraduates

Objectives Preparation for 4-year schools and advanced degrees Workforce development and skills

http://www2.aacc.nche.edu/research/index.htm

Context Number of women, minorities and foreign-born dramatically

increasing in research work force. Aging and retiring research workforce Science and engineering occupations are an increasing

percentage of workforce (only 10% hold doctorates) R&D $ are continually increasing

75% of high school students admitted to cheating 53% of undergraduates admitted to cheating 30% of researchers admitted to “questionable practices” NSF has observed a doubling of allegations and increasing

numbers of serious cases resulting in RM findings

http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind06/figures.htm

Holding the Line on Integrity

To act with visible integrity

Adhering to the responsible professional practices that are research integrity

Explaining the expectations, rules-of-the road for Responsible Professional Practices

Imbuing the next generation with a sense of responsibility for research integrity

Responsible Professional Practices

Compliance with rules and regulations Peer Review Rules Mentor/ Trainee Responsibilities Human Subjects Regulations Animal Welfare Regulations Research Misconduct

Fabrication Falsification Plagiarism

Collaborative Research Practices Publication/Authorship Practices Data Sharing/ Acquisition/Management/Ownership Practices Financial Management Conflict of Interest and Commitment Laboratory Management Skills (people/supplies)

Ensuring Research Integrity Teachers: The Front Line

Identify essential elements Applicable across institutional efforts / communities Determine vehicle for delivery

On-line? Separate classes? Embedded in other classes (microinsertion)? Laboratory training?

Mandatory / Elective?

Teachers and Administrators: Actively ensure integrity Act with integrity Enforce expectations in classroom Appropriate penalties for wrongdoers, praise for stars

Administrators: Articulate and measure achievements Manage investigative process Report RM to federal agencies as required

Act with Integrity Expect Integrity

Reputations are Invaluable

Why am I here? Represent Office of Inspector General OIG’s focus on:

Fraud, waste, abuse Economy, efficiency New and improved policies

Tools of the trade: Audits, inspections, evaluations, investigations, outreach

Jurisdiction: NSF Programs and Operations NSF Charge: to initiate and support basic scientific

research and programs to strengthen scientific research potential . . . at all levels

Institution/Faculty Charge: to manage all aspects of a funded activity and report significant problems

OIG Investigative Process Required by rules to report significant problems including RM Allegation intake from ANY source Gather sufficient information to assess allegation IF RM, refer to institution for investigation, OIG conducts any Federal

investigation and refers to NSF for adjudication IF Civil/Criminal, OIG investigates, refers to Justice for prosecution

Consequences:

Suspension/Debarment/Exclusion Corrective Action Plans Compliance Plans Fines, Penalties Exceptional Status

Special Oversight / Review Administrative Sanctions Suspension or Termination of Awards Civil/Criminal Violations

May apply to either individual or entire institution

Research Misconduct Subjects and Complainants

Faculty, PIs, Students, Researchers, Administrators Plagiarism

Papers, proposals Verbatim, block or patch Violation of peer review Collaborative efforts

Fabrication /Falsification Papers Proposals Theses, Dissertations, Lab Notebooks

Federal ActionsReprimandCertificationAssuranceEthics class, teach / attendBar peer reviewAward restrictionsAward terminationDebarment (public action)

Plagiarism: Described Undistinguished, uncited words or ideas of

another Citation and offset do not permit violation of

confidentiality Sources

Papers, proposals, web sites, manuscripts, conversations Students, peers, collaborators, colleagues, literature

Detection Students, peers, collaborators, colleagues Visual inspection, language differences Computer software

What do we ask the subject first? Did you copy material? If not, explain how the questioned text appears in

your document.

If you copied the text why was it not properly cited from your original material?

Did you have permission to copy the material without citing the source and without distinguishing the copied or closely paraphrased material?

If so, please enclose a copy of any written permission or provide details of any oral permission.

If the questioned text is so constrained by its technical nature that it can only be described with this text, please provide copies of at least two sources other than your own publications that contain the same text.

Is there any additional text that was copied from another source that is not properly cited?

Is there material in any other documents you have submitted to NSF that was copied from another source but not properly cited?

Trends (x=year, y= relative increase, base year 1995)

Plagiarism

0123456789

95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05

Plagiarism

When you start looking, you can find interesting things!

Trends (x=year, y= relative increase, base year 1995)

Total Misconduct Allegations

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05

Total FFP Allegations

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05

Administrator Responsibilities

KNOW YOUR POLICY, USE YOUR POLICY Student versus faculty misconduct

Independence and referral Securing evidence Records maintenance, PA and FOIA Confidentiality Conflict of Interest Separation of stages Fair, Timely, Fact- and Document- based,

Objective and Impartial Elements of a Research Misconduct Finding Research Community Practices Reporting to Federal Entity

Reporting and Responding to Allegations

→

←balance

Acting with Research Integrity

A well-imbued sense of research integrity guides choices and decisions

Contact Information

Internet: http://www.nsf.gov/oig/

E-mail: oig@nsf.gov

Telephone: 703-292-4889 (Peggy)

Anonymous: 1-800-428-2189

Write: 4201 Wilson Blvd. Suite II-705

Arlington, VA 22230