Summary of Research Misconduct Complaints Addressed by U of T

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What do I need before I can begin?

There are no prerequisites to view the summary of research misconduct complaints addressed by the University and past findings are publicly available. Please reach out to a contact within the Division of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation (VPRI) if you have questions regarding the information below.

Calendar Years 2018 – 2023

Please Note: Information current as of April 22, 2024. Summary data from 2013-2017 can be found here.

  2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Totals
Complaints Received 1 6 11 6 8 4 8 43
Preliminary Inquiries Conducted 4 6 11 6 7 4 8 42
Investigations Conducted 2,4 0 3 0 1 2 1 7
Research Misconduct Confirmed 3,4 1 2 0 1 2 1 7
Nature of the Research Misconduct Confirmed Failure to obtain REB approval Failure to follow applicable laws or regulations (1 instance), data fabrication (1 instance)   Data misrepresentation Failure to obtain consent from a co-author before naming him or her as such in the work; false or misleading statements that are contrary to good faith reporting of alleged Research Misconduct Data fabrication  

Notes:

  1. Complaints over which the University had jurisdiction. If a complaint is made against a person who has an appointment at or conducts research in a fully affiliated or community affiliated teaching hospital, institutional jurisdiction over the complaint is determined in accordance with the Faculty of Medicine Research Misconduct Framework Addendum: Procedures for Determining Jurisdiction in Complaints Involving Certain Non-University Institutions.
  2. The Framework identifies a two-stage process: an initial gathering and review of information at a preliminary inquiry stage and, if recommended by the inquiry, a subsequent investigation.
  3. Includes confirmation of research misconduct at any stage in the process.
  4. Cases are listed by the year in which the complaint was received. Inquiries, investigations and final confirmation of misconduct may have occurred in a calendar year subsequent to the year of the complaint, but they have been attributed to the year when the complaint was received.

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VPRI Role

  • Provide documentation and record keeping of all research misconduct complaints filed

VPRI Contact