According to U.S. Federal Research Misconduct Policy, which of the following is considered research misconduct?

Research misconduct, as defined by U.S. Federal Research Misconduct Policy, specifically includes acts such as fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results. Plagiarism, which involves using someone else's ideas, processes, results, or words without appropriate acknowledgment, fits directly into this definition. It undermines the integrity of research and the trust that the scientific community and the public place in research findings.

The other options, while they may represent unethical behavior in a research context, do not fall under the strict definition of research misconduct. Harassing a co-worker pertains to workplace ethics and personal conduct rather than research integrity. Gift authorship relates to issues of authorship credit and equity, which, while unethical, do not fit into the established categories of research misconduct. Conflict of interest is about potential biases in research and decision-making processes but is also not categorized as research misconduct under federal policy. Thus, plagiarism stands out as the clear and correct choice that directly correlates with defined misconduct in research.