Due Process in Investigations of Research Misconduct

This report reviews federal regulations regarding research misconduct and argues that accused scientists should be guaranteed more procedural safeguards during investigations of alleged misconduct. Currently, the accused researcher's institution performs the investigation, and most institutional policies do not require the presumption of innocence and do not allow scientists to see the evidence against them. Investigations into research misconduct use a low standard of proof — preponderance of evidence — which requires that the evidence point to a finding that is more likely than not.