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Member, Texas Tech University System The Princeton Review - 373 Best Colleges, 2011 Edition

Research Compliance

III. Definitions

  1. Allegation means any written or oral statement or other indication of possible scientific misconduct made to the Dean of Graduate Studies at Angelo State University.
  2. Complainant means a person who makes an allegation of scientific misconduct.
  3. Conflict of interest means the real or apparent interference of one person's interests with the interests of another person, where potential bias may occur due to prior or existing personal or professional relationships.
  4. Good faith allegation means an allegation made with the honest belief that scientific misconduct may have occurred. An allegation is not in good faith if it is unjust and malicious or is made with reckless disregard for or willful ignorance of facts that would disprove the allegation.
  5. Inquiry means gathering information and initial fact-finding to determine whether an allegation or apparent instance of scientific misconduct warrants an investigation.
  6. Investigation means the formal examination and evaluation of all relevant facts to determine if misconduct has occurred, and, if so, to determine the responsible person and the seriousness of the misconduct.
  7. Respondent means the person against whom an allegation of scientific misconduct is directed or the person whose actions are the subject of the inquiry or investigation. There can be more than one respondent in any inquiry or investigation.
  8. Retaliation means any action that adversely affects the employment or other institutional status of an individual that is taken by an institution or an employee because the individual has in good faith, made an allegation of scientific misconduct or of inadequate institutional response thereto or has cooperated in good faith with an investigation of such allegation.
  9. Scientific misconduct or misconduct in research means fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or other practices that seriously deviate from those that are commonly accepted within the scientific community for proposing, conducting, or reporting research. It does not include honest error or honest differences in interpretations or judgments of data.