Complainant issues in research misconduct: The Office of Research Integrity experience

This paper discusses the experiences of the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) with issues involving complainants who make allegations of research misconduct. The paper describes the legal framework for complainant issues, the various roles of the complainant as the allegation of misconduct proceeds through the steps of investigation and resolution, how allegations of retaliation against the complainant are handled, the responsibilities of ORI and of the research institution where the alleged misconduct occurred, and ORI's experience with several cases of alleged retaliation. In each of these areas, the paper attempts to provide guidance to prospective complainants, research institutions, and other interested persons on effective ways to approach the various problems and concerns that arise, while maintaining a balance between the needs of the complainant, the accused, the research institution handling the allegation, and ORI.