ABSTRACT
US policy makers have been grappling with research misconduct for nearly 30 years, and Canadian policy makers for about 20. US efforts to develop research misconduct policy can be traced to reports of a number of prominent cases in the late 1970s. The most difficult problem that the USA has faced in developing a comprehensive research misconduct policy is the complexity for funding and regulating research. Research misconduct is significant misbehavior that improperly appropriates the intellectual property or contributions of others, that intentionally impeded the progress of research, or that risks corrupting the scientific record or compromising the integrity of scientific practices. In contrast to the government-driven approach followed in the USA, Canada has relied more on research institutions to lead the way in developing research misconduct policy. Research misconduct policy should therefore focus on the behaviours that most compromise the usefulness of publicly supported research.
