We are committed to using sound science in decision-making and to providing the American public with information of the highest quality possible.
What We Do
Our Services
In order to provide confidence to the public and transparency into our decision-making processes, we
- manage a peer review process for scientific documents
- provide a process by which third parties can question the accuracy of information we have disseminated.
Federal agencies are required by the Information Quality Act to publish guidelines for ensuring the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information we use and disseminate, and to provide mechanisms for allowing the public to seek correction of that information.
Our Laws and Regulations
Section 515 of Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (Public Law 106-554), or the "Information Quality Act" as it is commonly called, provides the framework for our Information Quality activities.
We implement the law in accordance with these management documents.
- Office of Management and Budget (OMB) "Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility, and Integrity of Information Disseminated by Federal Agencies" (October 2001)
- The Office of Management and Budget directive, "Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review" (December 2004)
- Department of the Interior "Information Quality Guidelines Pursuant to Section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001"
- Fish and Wildlife Service "Information Quality Guidelines"