Deciding whether to report activities you witness that appear to violate legal, academic, or other policies can be challenging. Reporting of some improper activities (e.g., threats of violence, abuse of government resources) is required by most institutions while reporting of others may not be required but may still be advisable. Be sure to know which types of improper activities must be reported and to whom. If you are uncertain about an apparent violation of a reportable activity, you should discuss it with a confidential institutional source (e.g., legal counsel, ombudspersonOmbudsperson) who can advise if it warrants reporting and, if so, what is the appropriate office. For those instances that do not require reporting, you should carefully consider whether to still report them and consult a confidential, unbiased resource (e.g., institutional ombudspersonOmbudsperson) about how to proceed. Such individuals can usually direct you to institutional policies and procedures for dealing with improprieties regardless of the level at which they occur (i.e., internal or external). In reporting, you must carefully balance your sense of institutional citizenship with personal risks to your reputation, especially if the activity is found not to have been improper. Likewise, you do not want to be accused of not reporting an activity that subsequently is proven to be a violation. Reporting illegal activities and serious policy violations is part of your professional responsibility.