It is undoubtedly unfair to generalize from a few cases of misconduct to an entire profession.
Nevertheless, reported cases of misconduct are not uncommon, and this could reflect a failure to train
students to the highest ethical standards. The 1993 Office of Research Integrity (ORI) publication
reported the 1991–1992 caseload to include 29 institutional inquiries, 21 institutional investigations, and
7 ORI inquiries or investigations.3 The 1995 ORI publication reported the 1994 caseload as 13
institutional inquiries, 17 institutional investigations, and 8 ORI inquiries or investigations.4 Of actions
closed in these years (55 in 1991–1992; 44 in 1994), some involved fabrication, some falsification, some
plagiarism, and others some combination of fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and “other misconduct.”
Slightly fewer than half of the investigated cases closed as of these reports were found to involve
misconduct and resulted in sanction against the accused party. The academic rank of the accused ranged
from technician to full professor. Cases were reported from a number of institutions, and the accused
parties were funded by a variety of funding sources.