Research Misconduct

Welcome

Rice University expects its members to conduct all of their scholarly activities (including research, scholarly, and creative activities) with the highest standards of ethical conduct and to behave with integrity at all times. This includes the expectation that members of the university’s community will cooperate with research misconduct procedures, including (but not limited to) reporting known or suspected misconduct and providing relevant information, records, and evidence upon request.

Research misconduct includes any activity that violates the standards of integrity in the practice of research or other scholarly or creative activities. These actions are contrary to the principles of Rice University, undermine the confidence of the public, and can adversely affect the reputation of all members of the Rice Community. Misconduct is a fundamental betrayal of scientific and research principles and all allegations will be reviewed using the process outlined in Rice University’s Policy on Research Misconduct.

Overview of Research Misconduct Proceedings

Allegations and Assessment

Allegations of research misconduct can be provided to the Assistant Vice President for Research Integrity by email by clicking here or can be provided by phone (713-348-6200) or in person. If you wish to make an anonymous allegation of research misconduct, you can use the EthicsPoint service to provide information without attribution by clicking here.

Once an allegation is received, it is reviewed by the Assistant Vice President for Research Integrity. This review is not to determine whether research misconduct has occurred. Rather, this review is to determine whether the allegations, if proven true, would qualify as research misconduct (as compared to academic misconduct, for example). This review is also to determine whether the allegations are likely to be credible.

Inquiries

If the AVP of Research Integrity determines that the alleged actions, if true, would qualify as research misconduct, the proceedings move to the inquiry stage. As with the initial assessment, the review at this stage is not to determine whether research misconduct has occurred. Instead, the purpose of the inquiry is to determine whether sufficient evidence exists for an investigation to have value. The AVP of Research Integrity presents this information to the Provost, who makes the determination of whether the proceedings should move forward to a formal investigation.

Investigations

The purpose of the investigation is for a committee of the investigator’s peers to consider the evidence of research misconduct, as well as any defense offered by the researcher(s) who are facing the allegations. The findings from the committee are presented to the Provost, who makes a final determination on whether the actions qualify as research misconduct.

Contact Us

Questions? Please email integrity@rice.edu to contact the Office of Research Integrity. If you wish to anonymously report concerns about research misconduct, please use the EthicsPoint service.