Final answer:
Scientific misconduct occurs when a researcher fabricates or manipulates data, undermining the reliability and integrity of research findings.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a researcher has fabricated or manipulated data to fit his desired results, scientific misconduct has occurred. Fabrication and manipulation of data to achieve a specific outcome violates ethical guidelines and can significantly affect the credibility and integrity of research findings. Instances of scientific misconduct can lead to incorrect conclusions and damage the trust in scientific research. Additionally, it can cause other ethical problems such as conflict of interest, where one's personal interests interfere with the professional responsibilities or the objective pursuit of truth in research.
Scientific misconduct covers various unethical practices, such as creating false datasets, altering data in existing datasets, changing measuring instruments without adequate disclosure, misrepresenting sample sizes, and other forms of data falsification or fabrication. Such actions undermine the reliability of data and corrupt the scientific process. To maintain the integrity of research, it's essential to adhere to ethical guidelines, avoid any form of deception, and conduct studies with transparency and reproducibility in mind.