FSP FAQs: Software

Approval of scientific software requires two reviews—a code review and a domain review as described in this FAQ. A single reviewer can perform either review or both reviews. The reviewer(s) are selected by the software author with concurrence of a Science Center Director for their qualifications to perform such reviews. [Read more]

USGS scientific software and data follow the same basic FSP requirements for review and approval and both are considered noninterpretive information. Both releases are subject to the requirements of the 2013 OSTP directive on increasing access to the results of federally funded scientific research. [Read more]

In contrast to approved software, provisional or preliminary scientific software is subject to change and is not approved as a USGS information product but may be shared informally through a publicly accessible code repository following Science Center approval. [Read more]

Scientific software is ready for approval and public release when a version of the software is no longer under development, includes the appropriate documentation, and has been reviewed in accordance with IM OSQI 2019-01 requirements. [Read more]

USGS scientific software releases are approved by the Science Center Director, the authoritative copy is maintained on a USGS hosting platform (e.g. code.usgs.gov). Nonauthoritative copies can be shared on externally hosted platforms but the DOI must point to the USGS hosting platform. [Read more]

Scientific software can be released as either approved or provisional software. Software can be released as a stand-alone product, as a separate product associated with another USGS scientific information product, or released in association with an outside publication. [Read more]

Scientific software is a discrete package of computer code and documentation that contains source code implementing scientific algorithms or producing scientific data. All USGS scientific software products intended for public release are reviewed and approved in accordance with USGS FSP requirements. [Read more]

Because software may be further developed and subsequently updated after the original version is released, all revised software should be released with a new version number. Although the approach to version numbering can vary, revised software releases can be grouped into three general categories: major revision, minor revision, and patch. [Read more]

Yes. Software produced by the USGS and released publicly is in the public domain. However, some software may be partially or wholly owned by a non-Federal partner (e.g., university) and may elect to apply a license, including an open source license that includes restrictions. USGS employees have several options to navigate these circumstances. [Read more]

The software developer needs to have an understanding of the repository’s open source licensing requirements; several licensing options may be considered. [Read more]

Generally, source code associated with USGS software releases must be made available at minimum for Federal Government-wide reuse. Source code for USGS software releases must include an appropriate open-source license or secured re-use rights; be included in the USGS source code inventory; be accompanied by documentation to facilitate reuse and participation by third parties. [Read more]

Yes. Approved USGS software releases must be assigned a DOI with the 10.5066 prefix using the USGS Digital Object Identifier (DOI) Creation Tool. Software release products should be assigned a meaningful resource type in the DOI metadata such as software, model, workflow, or another appropriate term. The DOI metadata must appropriately describe the software product. [Read more]

Department of the Interior, including USGS, applies strict requirements and platform authorizations for sharing software in public repositories. To avoid potential violations, policy-compliant and secure internal code repositories are available for sharing and releasing software. [Read more]

Author should work together with their supervisor and Science Center Director to determine if a set of source code is appropriate for release as a USGS scientific software release or if the algorithms or statistical methods would alternatively be more appropriate for inclusion in an associated manuscript or the metadata of a data release. [Read more]

The authoritative (or reference) copy of an approved USGS scientific software release must be distributed through a “.gov” server to comply with USGS open access requirements. USGS Git hosting platform is available, including USGS OpenSource GitLab, or USGS InnerSource GitLab, which can be restricted to a specific group of collaborators. [Read more]

Refer to the Software Management website for additional information, including best practices and guidance related to the management and release of USGS software.

The FSP requirements for release of USGS scientific data and software associated with scholarly publications also apply to cooperator publications. Data and software management, publishing, and curation responsibility should be specified in data management plans. [Read more]