The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is committed to the values expressed in its General Principles on the Ethical Conduct of Research and Scholarship to guide the research and scholarly activities of its students, staff, and faculty. Researchers should conduct their work in an honest and professional manner to ensure that the research they carry out is reliable. Integrity requires rigorous adherence to the professional standards of a researcher’s particular field, honesty in the reporting of research methods and results, and appropriate acknowledgment of collaborators and funding sources.

Individuals in leadership or supervisory positions have a special obligation to foster academic integrity in their relationships and in their work. Violations of professional standards are a matter for peer review and censure; in some instances, they may be grounds for university disciplinary action. Most problems can be handled by informal mediation at the organizational level closest to the individuals involved.

The university has policies and procedures for responding to incidents of academic misconduct that cannot be handled by informal procedures or mediation. These are outlined in the University of Illinois System’s Policy and Procedures on Integrity in Research and Publication.