Fundamental Science Practices Frequently Asked Questions
What USGS scientific information products must follow FSP?
How does USGS define peer review and what are the FSP peer review requirements?
How is approval granted and what documents at a minimum must be submitted to the approving official?
What is the foundation of FSP?
What Federal Government policies require the release of scientific data, and how does the USGS intend to meet these requirements?
What is considered USGS scientific software and what are the USGS requirements for releasing it?
What types of project progress information can be reported and why is that important?
The frequently asked questions (FAQs) represent a Bureau consensus to ensure interpretations of Fundamental Science Practices (FSP) policies are uniformly applied throughout the USGS. These comprehensive FAQs not only provide further explanation of the FSP and related publishing policies but also describe the specific procedures and decision making necessary to meet the
FSP Background
Authorship
Review
Approval
USGS Publication Series
Journal Publications
Metadata
Data
Software
Project Reporting and Cooperator Publications
Web Pages, Conferences, Abstracts, and Presentations
Preprints
The FAQs will be updated as necessary and changes in the form of additions or revisions are reflected by date (month/year) as they occur. Questions about the FSP that are not addressed here should be directed to gs_fspac@usgs.gov.
FSP Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Publications Warehouse handle data releases? [174]
Data release information product records are not cataloged as standalone citation pages in the Publications Warehouse. The official catalog for USGS data releases is the USGS Science Data Catalog. However, links to data releases associated with a companion publication are added to the associated publication’s citation page in the Publications Warehouse. [Read more]
What types of information products are available in full text from the Publications Warehouse? [173]
Full text information products published by the USGS, such as USGS series publications, are provided for download from the Publications Warehouse. The Publications Warehouse also provides links to cooperators' and external publishers’ websites that provide the full text of USGS-authored publications when the links are available. [Read more]
What types of information products are not cataloged in the Publications Warehouse? [172]
Information products outside the scope of the Publications Warehouse, such as abstracts, posters, presentations, data releases, and software releases, are not cataloged in the Publications Warehouse.
What types of information products are cataloged in the USGS Publications Warehouse? [171]
The Publications Warehouse catalog includes, but is not limited to, citation pages for USGS publication series, outside publications (such as journal articles, books, book chapters, other government and nongovernment publications, cooperator publications, and conference proceedings) prepared by USGS and other authors, and extramural publications (produced by non-USGS authors funded by USGS). [Read more]
How are USGS information products cataloged in and made available from the USGS Publications Warehouse? [170]
Upon completion of the dissemination task for an information product in IPDS, bibliographic metadata are transferred from IPDS to Publications Warehouse for creating product citation pages. Accurate and complete bibliographic information must be entered in the IPDS and the dissemination task must be completed in a timely manner to catalog and index product in the Publications Warehouse.[Read more]
Can I login and enter data into the USGS ScienceBase before those data have been approved for release? [122]
Yes. Users with restricted/private permissions may manage data in ScienceBase prior to formal release. [Read more]
What are the review and approval requirements for releasing scientific data to the public? [120]
Data intended for public release are subject to USGS FSP requirements including one data review and one metadata review, reconciliation, and Bureau approval by Science Center Directors or their designees. Data are never placed in the IPDS. [Read more]
What are the recordkeeping requirements regarding research activities? [119]
Documentation and recordkeeping requirements associated with data collection and research activities are found in the USGS Mission-Specific Disposition Schedules and General Records Disposition Schedules.
What are FSP requirements for release of research data collected by USGS but funded by external cooperators? [118]
If data are collected by USGS employees, students, emeritus and other volunteers, and contractors to benefit the USGS, or using USGS funds, it is the responsibility of the USGS to ensure appropriate release. An agreement between the cooperator/collaborator and USGS should specify the data management responsibilities. [Read more]
Where can I find additional information about managing and releasing USGS software? [143]
Refer to the Software Management website for additional information, including best practices and guidance related to the management and release of USGS software.
What hosting platforms are available for releasing USGS scientific software? [142]
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]
What is the distinction in software release requirements between scripts used to prepare data for analysis or graphical visualizations and models or other packages of source code? [141]
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]