Research Misconduct – A Guide for PhD Students

As a PhD candidate, you’ll be expected to maintain a high level of research integrity throughout your project. Avoiding research misconduct (whether intentional or unintentional!) is a key component of this.

We’ve broken down what constitutes research misconduct, its possible consequences and how you can make sure to steer clear of it.

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What is research misconduct?

The definition of research misconduct is fairly broad. In their Concordat to Support Research Integrity, Universities UK defines it as “behaviour or actions that fall short of the standards of ethics, research and scholarship required to ensure that the integrity of research is upheld”.

Exact policies vary between universities, but research misconduct generally falls into the following categories:

#1 Plagiarism

Plagiarism means using the work of others as if it were your own without acknowledgment. This could be as blatant as quoting entire chunks of another author’s work without referencing (which is likely to be picked up by plagiarism-detection software). It also includes paraphrasing someone else’s ideas or arguments in a way that makes them appear original.

Plagiarism isn’t always intentional. It’s possible to accidentally plagiarise through incorrect referencing. Make sure you’ve thoroughly understood the referencing system used by your university and that you keep a careful record of your sources!

#2 Self-plagiarism

Strange as it may sound, plagiarising your own work can be just as serious as plagiarising someone else’s! Substantially repeating work that you submitted for a previous degree in your final PhD thesis could be considered self-plagiarism.

If you published work in an academic journal prior to finishing your PhD, it may be acceptable to use parts of your previous publication(s) in your thesis. However, you will generally need to indicate that you have done so with an appropriate reference (or in other words, you’ll need to reference yourself!). You may also need to seek copyright permission from the owners of the journal to re-use published material.

#3 Falsification or fabrication of data

This could mean simply inventing the results of research you’ve not carried out, or misrepresenting data you have collected (by omitting a result that does not support your hypothesis, for example).

#4 Commission

One of the most serious and obvious forms of academic misconduct, commission involves getting an individual or company to complete work on your behalf. This could be paying for the service of an essay mill (these were outlawed by the UK government in 2021) or simply asking a family member or friend to complete some of your work for you. Some universities may also categorise the use of AI chatbots to generate work as commission.

#5 Misrepresentation of authorship

Make sure you follow your university’s authorship guidelines whenever you’re deciding who should be credited on a publication! Failing to include someone who meets the criteria for authorship, or granting authorship when it is not warranted, is considered misconduct.

You should also make sure to credit other people who have contributed to the publication such as funders, sponsors, or advisers.

#6 Breach of legal, ethical or professional requirements

It’s important to make sure you’re meeting all your university’s standards for legal and ethical research. This is especially important if you’ll be working with human participants or animals, or if your research could have an impact on the environment.

Examples of misconduct in this area could include failing to obtain informed consent from participants, consider the possible risks of your research, or declare a conflict of interest.

Research misconduct and artificial intelligence

AI chatbots such as ChatGPT are becoming increasingly capable, and universities are updating their research misconduct policies to take this into account!

Using AI to generate any part of your thesis or other written work will generally be considered misconduct. It could be categorised as plagiarism (since you’d be using work that isn’t your own) or even fabrication (if the chatbot ‘hallucinates’ data that you then use to support your argument).

The use of AI to aid your work in less direct ways – for example as a proofreading tool or for feedback on the tone or structure of your writing – may be allowed, but you should check your university’s specific policy for information on this. Using AI as an editing tool may make it likelier that you’ll be accused of having generated an entire section of your work – so it may be safer to avoid it altogether.

What are the consequences of research misconduct?

There can be a range of penalties for academic misconduct, depending on the seriousness of the accusations. In the first instance, you may receive a written letter of caution and be given a set period of time to amend and resubmit your work.

In more serious cases, a panel may be convened to investigate. This could result in you being awarded a standalone MPhil in place of a PhD, or even being withdrawn from the programme altogether.

If you are receiving funding from a research council, your university will generally inform them of any misconduct investigations you’re involved in. This could lead to your funding being withdrawn, depending on the outcome of the investigation.

How can I avoid research misconduct?

Of course, the easiest way to guarantee you’ll never face any of these consequences is to avoid research misconduct in the first place!

Here are some ways you can steer clear of unintentional wrongdoing:

• Make sure you’re familiar with your university’s referencing system: A simple referencing error is one of the easiest (but most avoidable!) ways to stumble into academic misconduct. You should be able to get hold of a handbook for the referencing system required by your department from your university’s library. It’s a good idea to do some practice before referencing your thesis if you’ve not used that particular system before.
• Keep track of your sources: Make sure you keep a meticulous record of sources throughout your PhD, so you’re not scrambling to find them when it comes time to complete your final bibliography. This will put you at far less risk of referencing incorrectly (and save you a whole load of stress!).
• Beware of PhD burnout: PhD study is demanding, and pushing yourself to breaking point can lead to avoidable mistakes and a temptation to cut corners. Read our blog on avoiding PhD burnout for ways to take a well-earned break.
• Ask for help if you need it: If you’re confused by anything in your university’s research misconduct policy, don’t be afraid to ask your supervisor – that’s what they’re there for!