Research Integrity Resources

• CITI Course in the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research
  MIT’s preferred course (and in certain circumstances a required course) in the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research. The course requires an MIT personal certificate. 
• Fostering Academic Integrity: Report of the Committee on Academic Responsibility (The Widnall Report) 
  Massachusetts Institute of Technology, April 15, 1992. Note that since the original publication of this report, MIT’s Academic Misconduct Policy has been revised.
• Fostering Integrity in Research
  National Academics (2017). A report on promoting research integrity and preventing research misconduct. 
• The Lab - Avoiding Research Misconduct
  An interactive movie by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI)
• ORI Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research
  Revised Edition (Aug. 2007) Nicholas H. Steneck, Ph.D., Illustrations by David Zinn. (also available as PDF).

MIT Libraries’ Research Data Management Services is available to assist MIT faculty and researchers manage, store, and share data.

Additional Resources:

• Guide to Social Science Data Preparation and Archiving: Best Practice Throughout the Data Life Cycle (6th ed.). 
  Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) (2020). Ann Arbor, MI.
   
• Managing Data for Integrity: Policies and Procedures for Ensuring the Accuracy and Quality of the Data in the Laboratory 
  Chris B. Pascal. Science and Engineering Ethics 2006, 12(1):23-29.
   
• Chapter 8: Data Management and Laboratory Notebooks 
  Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for Postdocs and New Faculty, Second Edition. Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (2006).
   
• National Cancer Institute: Guide for Keeping Laboratory Records

Many allegations of research misconduct question the integrity and/or authenticity of figures. To minimize the chances of this type of allegation being made, be sure to follow journal guidelines and editorial policies for preparation of figures. In most cases, it is acceptable to group or consolidate data (i.e., crop images, remove lanes from gels and blots, etc.), but alterations should be apparent (space left or line separating bands included) and be explicitly indicated in the figure legend.

Example journal guidelines and/or policies:

• Cell - Data Processing Policy
• Nature – Policy on Image Integrity

Additional Resources:

• Image rights and wrongs 
  Editorial. Nature Nanotechnology, Vol. 5, No. 9, 627 (Sept. 2010).

• Online Learning Tool for Research Integrity and Image Processing 
  University of Alabama Birmingham. Suggested resource from ORI.

• What’s in a picture? The temptation of image manipulation 
  Mike Rossner, et al. The Journal of Cell Biology, Vol. 166, No.1: 11-14 (2004), The Rockefeller University Press. Suggested resource from ORI.

• Avoiding plagiarism, self plagiarism, and other questionable writing practices: A guide to ethical writing
• A guide written by Miguel Roig, Ph.D., of St. Johns University with funding from ORI (also available as PDF)
   
• Citing Sources
  MIT Libraries’ Research Guide.
   
• ORI Policy on Plagiarism
  From ORI Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 1 (December 1994).
   
• ORI Newsletter Focuses on Plagiarism
  Office of Research Integrity Newsletter, Vol. 20, No. 3 (June 2012). After closing four cases involving plagiarism in 2011, ORI’s June 2012 Newsletter featured Plagiarism as its topic.
   
• Nature – Policy on Plagiarism - "Plagiarism and duplicate publication"

• ORI Newsletter: Spotlight on Mentoring
  Office of Research Integrity Newsletter. Vol. 22, No. 3 (June 2014). Writers share their commentary about the role of a mentor in promoting best practices and preventing research misconduct.
   
• Best Practices for Lab Leadership and Management – Checklist 
  Professionalism and Integrity in Research Program, Washington University in St. Louis. (2018).
   
• Nature’s Guide for Mentors
  Adrian Lee, et al.  Nature 447, 791-797 (June 14, 2007)
   
• MIT Department of Biology: Mentoring Students and Early-Career Scientists
   
• MIT Postdoctoral Mentoring and Advising Toolkit

• Discussion Document: Authorship
  Committee on Publication Ethics. (2019).
   
• The Authorship Project
  University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2024).

IS&T has prepared guidance on the use of generative AI tools. 

Additional Resources

• Cell policy on generative AI and AI-assisted technology
• Science policy on AI and text and image integrity
• Nature policy on AI in text and images and during peer review

• ORI Misconduct Case Summaries re: Fabrication / Falsification / Plagiarism 
  U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services: Office of Research Integrity (ORI)
• NSF Misconduct Closeout Memoranda 
  National Science Foundation