Research ethics and misconduct – UGC NET Question

Statement D is the only wrong statement because altering data to fit expectations is a clear form of falsification and is strictly unethical. Statements A, B and C correctly define plagiarism, fabrication and falsification as forms of research misconduct. Statement E correctly notes that standard ethical codes explicitly prohibit all three practices. Therefore, D alone represents a view that contradicts accepted ethical standards.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it treats A together with D as wrong, even though A correctly defines plagiarism as misappropriation of others’ work. Since only D endorses unethical behaviour, grouping A with it misrepresents ethical principles.

Option B:
Option B wrongly suggests that both C and D are wrong. In reality, C accurately defines falsification as manipulative distortion of research procedures or data. This option therefore mislabels a correct statement as wrong.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it isolates D as the sole statement endorsing an unethical practice, namely altering data to match hypotheses. It implicitly affirms that A, B, C and E are in line with standard research ethics, which is consistent with accepted codes of conduct.

Option D:
Option D incorrectly includes B and E among the wrong statements. B correctly describes fabrication as making up data, and E correctly notes that guidelines forbid such behaviour. By treating these as wrong, the option conflicts with basic ethical definitions.

Option E misclassifies C and E as wrong along with D, even though both C and E accurately describe elements of research ethics and misconduct. This broad mislabelling shows conceptual confusion and renders the option unacceptable.