Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
Removing outlier data points to make a non-significant result reach p < 0.05 without disclosing the exclusion.
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
Pre-registered exclusion of outliers based on a documented protocol applied identically across conditions.
Editorial commentary
Falsification includes selective omission of inconvenient data points, undisclosed image adjustments that alter interpretation, changing measurement values, and misrepresenting protocols. Unlike fabrication, the underlying experiment occurred, but its representation is dishonest. Image-forensic tools (ImageTwin, Imagetwin's competitors, Proofig) and statistical forensic methods (GRIM, SPRITE, Benford analysis) are commonly used to detect it post hoc.
References
- US Office of Research Integrity, 42 CFR Part 93 (2005)
- Bik, Casadevall & Fang (2016) 'The prevalence of inappropriate image duplication in biomedical research'
Also known as
data falsification · data manipulation
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
<role vocab="credit"
vocab-identifier="https://casrai.org/dictionary/"
vocab-term="Falsification"
vocab-term-identifier="https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/falsification" />{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "DefinedTerm",
"name": "Falsification",
"identifier": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/falsification",
"description": "Manipulating research materials, equipment, processes, or data such that the research record does not accurately represent the actual results. A modification qualifies if it is undisclosed and changes the conclusions a reader would draw.",
"inDefinedTermSet": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/domain/research-integrity-and-misconduct/",
"url": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/falsification",
"sameAs": [
"data falsification",
"data manipulation"
],
"license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
}
