Research ethics and academic integrity – UGC NET Question

In this ethics question, statements A, B and D correctly present principles of academic integrity. Statement A defines plagiarism as using another’s work without proper acknowledgement, statement B captures the essence of informed consent and statement D describes confidentiality as protecting participants’ identities and personal information. Statement C is clearly unethical because fabrication and falsification of data are never acceptable, irrespective of the perceived usefulness of results, and statement E is also wrong because institutional ethical guidelines apply to all research regardless of funding. Thus, the wrong statements are precisely C and E.

Option A:
Option A correctly groups C and E as the only wrong statements in the list. It recognises that both data fabrication and the ignoring of ethical guidelines are unacceptable practices in research. By leaving A, B and D out of the set of wrong statements, it respects their accuracy and therefore gives the right combination.

Option B:
Option B identifies C as wrong but fails to treat E as incorrect. While C is indeed an unethical position, E is also wrong because ethical approval and guidelines are required for all research involving human participants, not only funded projects. As this option does not capture all the wrong statements, it cannot be the correct answer.

Option C:
Option C adds statement D to the list of wrong statements along with C and E. This is incorrect because D accurately defines confidentiality in research practice. By classifying a correct statement as wrong, this combination misrepresents ethical principles and becomes invalid.

Option D:
Option D incorrectly includes statement A among the wrong statements. Statement A is a correct definition of plagiarism and reflects standard academic integrity norms. Since the option mislabels a true statement as wrong while mixing it with genuinely wrong statements C and E, it is not an acceptable answer.