The authority to approve scientific information products with U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) authorship for release ultimately rests with the Director of the USGS. However, this approval responsibility is delegated to others in the Bureau (refer to Survey Manual (SM) chapter SM 205.18).
For example, information products that contain research or new interpretive material must receive Bureau approval by a Bureau Approving Official (BAO) in the Office of Science Quality and Integrity (OSQI); with the exception of abstracts, posters used in poster sessions, and presentation materials as detailed below, this approval cannot be redelegated to the Science Center or equivalent level.
Information products that are based on previously approved published material or that do not contain new interpretive material can receive Bureau approval by a Science Center Director or equivalent. The term "Science Center Director" is equivalent to other terms that may be used in the USGS, such as Chief Scientist, Science Center Manager, Center or Branch Chief, Coop Unit Leader, and Cost Center Manager. The Science Center Director may redelegate this approval authority to a designee of comparable responsibility or knowledge. Science Center Directors (or designees) may request that any information product be approved by a BAO—for instance, it is strongly encouraged that information products containing content that may be considered highly visible, policy sensitive, influential scientific information or highly influential scientific assessments (for example, mineral, energy, or biological assessments and any associated information products) be passed to BAOs in the OSQI for approval.
Guidance for distinguishing new research or interpretive information products and secondary uses of previously published or noninterpretive information products is available here. Regardless of the content, Bureau scientific information products must be approved in accordance with USGS Fundamental Science Practices (FSP) requirements.
The table provides Bureau approval levels for most information products. Guidance on the reviews (e.g., peer review, data review, metadata review, and editorial review) required prior to Bureau approval is included for the listed product types as well as related reference information. All information products listed requiring Bureau approval by a BAO in the OSQI or a Science Center Director (or designee) must be entered in the internal USGS Information Product Data System (IPDS) where the approval is tracked and documented.
The table in this PDF provides the Bureau approval levels (based on the content) for most of the various information products prepared by the USGS. Information on the reviews required prior to Bureau approval (peer review, data review, metadata review, and editorial review) for the listed product types and related reference information is also included (refer to SM 502.4 for additional information on these and other reviews that may be needed). All information products requiring Bureau approval by a BAO in the OSQI or a Science Center Director must be entered in the internal USGS Information Product Data System (IPDS) where the approval is documented.
