The University of Louisville follows the federal definition of research misconduct. 

Research Misconduct means fabrication, falsification or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results. 

Fabrication is making up data or results and recording or reporting them.  Falsification is 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 is the appropriation of another person's ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit.  Plagiarism also means substantial unattributed copying of another's ideas, processes, results, or words.  Substantial unattributed copying of another's ideas, processes, results, or words means the unattributed verbatim copying of sentences and paragraphs, style or structure which materially mislead the audience regarding the contributions of the author.  Plagiarism does not include authorship or credit disputes, including those among former collaborators who have gone their separtate ways but may make use of commonly developed concepts, methods, descriptive language, or other products of the former joint effort. 

Research misconduct does not include honest error or differences of opinion.

If you have a question or concern regarding research misconduct, feel free to contact:

  HSC Associate Research Integrity Ombud

  Cathy Bays
  Nursing
  852-8514

Director, Research Integrity

Allison Ratterman

852-2453