Research misconduct

What is Research Misconduct?

Research misconduct refers to actions or behaviours that fall short of the standards of ethics, integrity, and professionalism expected in academic research. It undermines the credibility of research, damages trust, and can cause harm to individuals, institutions, and society.

At Royal Holloway, University of London, research misconduct includes but is not limited to:
- Fabrication – making up data, results, or other research outputs and presenting them as genuine.
- Falsification – manipulating research materials, equipment, processes, or data inappropriately.
- Plagiarism – using another person’s ideas, work, or intellectual property without proper acknowledgement.
- Misrepresentation – distorting data, authorship, or credentials.
- Failure to meet legal, ethical, or professional obligations – including breaches of confidentiality, improper conduct in peer review, or failure to obtain appropriate consent.
- Collusion or concealment – knowingly supporting or hiding misconduct by others.

Genuine errors or differences in interpretation are not considered misconduct unless they result from negligence or recklessness.

Research Misconduct at Royal Holloway University of London

Royal Holloway is committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity. We take all allegations of research misconduct seriously and investigate them thoroughly, fairly, and confidentially, in line our Research Misconduct Policy.

Our policy on Research Misconduct, along with the procedures for investigating concerns, is informed by national standards and best practice guidance provided by the UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) and the Concordat to Support Research Integrity.

If you have concerns about potential misconduct, we encourage you to raise them through appropriate channels outlined in our Research Misconduct Policy.

Allegations can be made by staff, students, or external parties and will be handled with discretion and care.

Our procedures ensure that: