Fundamental Science Practices Frequently Asked Questions

A set of fundamental principals that underlie USGS science practices including how research activities are planned and conducted and how the results of these research activities are appropriately reviewed, approved, and released. [Read More]

All USGS scientific information products must follow FSP if the author has full time, part time, or volunteer (including emeritus) USGS affiliation or a shared affiliation such as between USGS and a university. [Read More]

No. FSP review and approval requirements must be followed for all publicly released USGS science information products. [Read More]

Scientific information products generally receive peer review, data review, names review, editorial review, and policy review, which are followed by approval and release of the product. [Read More]

A list of various disclaimers is available at the link provided with this FAQ. [Read More]

Guidance on advocacy and recommendations is available at the link provided with this FAQ and includes examples of acceptable and unacceptable statements. [Read More]

The use of written or oral communications is permitted when referring to auxiliary information that is not essential to ensuring others can replicate the results or evaluate the validity of the data used to support the conclusions of the scholarly publication. [Read More]

FSP requires that USGS scientific information products conform with established USGS publishing requirements and procedures for production and release; the SPN is the Bureau’s organizational unit that is the sole source for providing publishing support services and related needs. [Read More]

Available guidance includes procedures, charts, workflow diagrams, FAQs, and training modules. [Read More]

Data collection and research planning activities are governed by documented work plans that ensure scientific goals are achievable and appropriate to the mission of the USGS and that research can be interpreted appropriately; these work plans are reviewed by appropriate experts and approved at some level higher than the project chief, such as the Science Center Director. [Read More]

Available guidance for authorship includes a Survey Manual chapter, FAQs, and other tools. [Read More]

Yes, all scientific information products, including those submitted to an agency that has provided funding to the USGS, must be peer reviewed and receive Bureau approval. [Read More]

No, a web page cannot be used to release new interpretive material. [Read More]

Access to or release of the USGS data may be restricted because of security, privacy, confidentiality, or other constraints, or data mentioned in the published product are not used as a basis for the conclusions. [Read More]

If the non-USGS funded data have not been made publicly available by the data owner, the USGS can suggest or request but cannot require the data be made publicly available. If the data are not made available, a statement indicating that at the time of publication the data were not available from the responsible non-USGS agency should be included in the associated information product. [Read More]

Acknowledgments in USGS scientific information products must be limited to only those that contributed materially to the scientific investigation and the information product and (or) those that provided content-specific assistance to authors during the related investigation. [Read More]

An ORCID iD is a unique, persistent identifier that can be obtained by researchers free of charge. An assigned ORCID iD is associated with an individual regardless of their affiliated institutions and records an author’s history of publications. [Read More]

All USGS authors (including coauthors) must have a ORCID iD account (set to public) in order to identify USGS authored or funded publications. The ORCID iD record should include the author’s first and last name, USGS email address, and USGS employment affiliation. [Read More]

An ORCID iD helps to highlight and clarify Bureau research and authorship by USGS employees. The Publications Warehouse also uses ORCID iDs to update and link to externally published information products by USGS authors. [Read More]

If the author has full-time, part-time, or volunteer (including emeritus) USGS affiliation or shared affiliation; or if the author is working under a USGS grant, memorandum of understanding, or other cooperative agreement, then FSP requirements must be followed regardless of whether the information product will be published by the USGS or by an outside entity. [Read more]

Authors are the ones responsible for the preparation and content of the information product. Authorship should be limited to the individual or individuals who make a substantial intellectual contribution to conception or design of the investigation; the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; and the content of the information product. [Read more]