Proposed Federal Policy on Research Misconduct To Protect the Integrity of the Research Record

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The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) proposes a government-wide Federal policy for research misconduct for adoption and implementation by agencies that conduct and support research. The proposed policy addresses behavior that has the potential to affect the integrity of the research record and establishes procedural safeguards for handling allegations of research misconduct. It has been cleared by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and is the result of an extensive interagency development, review, and clearance process initiated in April 1996. This policy notice was developed by OSTP in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and OMB supports the solicitation of comment on the proposed policy and procedures. The policy consists of a definition of research misconduct and guidelines for handling allegations of research misconduct. Following consideration of public comments received, the agencies will be directed to implement the policy. In some cases, this may require agencies to amend or replace regulations addressing research misconduct that are already in place. In other cases, agencies may implement the policy through administrat