A book publisher has contacted me to contribute a short "blurb" review of content for the back of a book cover. As a USGS scientist, will my positive review be interpreted as an endorsement? [037]

Yes. By definition, a short review or "blurb" placed by the book publisher on the back cover, elsewhere on the book jacket, or as front matter or back matter inside the book is an endorsement of the contents in the sense that it is meant to encourage a potential reader to read or purchase the product. In other words, a short "blurb" review, regardless of the content, is designed to get a consumer to buy the book thereby contributing to the private gain of the book author and the book publisher. A USGS employee must not associate his or her position or affiliation with the USGS in these kinds of reviews. It is possible for an employee to conduct a short "blurb" review in his or her personal, off-duty capacity. Prior to providing a "blurb" to a publisher, the USGS Ethics Office must first evaluate whether the employee may review the book in an outside capacity and then approve the activity. For the evaluation, the employee must submit a USGS Form 9-1510, Request for Ethics Approval to Engage in Outside Work or Activity, through his or her supervisor to the Ethics Office. A short "blurb" review done in an outside capacity could mention a person's university degree(s), general professional title, and residence city and state. For example, "John J. Reviewer, Ph.D., Geoscientist, (City and State of Residence)." Employees contacted to provide a short "blurb" review in their official or unofficial capacity should contact the Ethics Office for guidance at the earliest opportunity.