Define the term "research misconduct."

The term "research misconduct" is best defined as a violation of ethical standards, including fabrication and plagiarism. This encompasses actions such as deliberately falsifying data or results, or misrepresenting ideas and contributions, which undermine the integrity of research. These acts not only violate the trust that the academic and scientific communities place in researchers but also can have far-reaching consequences on public knowledge and safety.

Fabrication refers to making up data or results and recording or reporting them, while plagiarism involves using someone else’s work or ideas without proper attribution. Both actions represent a failure to uphold the principles of honesty, accountability, and ethical behavior that are foundational to credible research practices.

Other choices, while they reflect issues that may arise in the research process, do not capture the essence of research misconduct as recognized by ethical guidelines and regulatory bodies, which focus specifically on acts that directly compromise research integrity.