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United States Department of the Interior FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE |
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DIRECTOR'S ORDER NO. 196
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Subject: Publishing Scientific Articles in the Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management, North American Fauna, and publication outlets external to the Service.
Sec. 1 What is the purpose of this Order? This Order supersedes all previous guidance on policy review requirements. It makes it clear that we do not have an official policy review process for articles employees publish in the Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management and North American Fauna. Scientific publications in outlets external to the Service are also subject to this Order. We require that authors add a disclaimer because we do not specifically review the articles for policy implications, and they may not represent the official views of the Service.
Sec. 2 What are the requirements? This Order requires that Service employees:
a. Include a disclaimer on any scientific article they publish in the Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management, North American Fauna, or publication outlets external to the Service, and
b. Provide a copy of the article to their supervisor to ensure the supervisor is aware of it.
Sec. 3 What is the scope of this Order?
a. This Order applies to all Service employees who publish scientific articles in the Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management, North American Fauna, or publication outlets external to the Service if:
(1) The employee wrote the article while on official duty, or
(2) The content of the article is based on scientific activities that the Service funded in whole or in part.
b. This Order does not apply to:
(1) Articles that employees write on their own time,
(2) Articles with content that is not based on scientific activities that the Service funded in whole or in part, and
(3) Scientific information published as official Service positions or policy, such as findings in Federal Register notices or rulemakings, official reports from Program offices, Service Manual chapters, etc. These types of documents undergo extensive Service review for policy implications.
Sec. 4 What must the disclaimer say?
a. Articles employees submit for publication (see section 3) must contain the following disclaimer: ‘‘The findings and conclusions in this article are those
of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the b. The disclaimer does not diminish the quality of the science you are reporting or your credentials. We can still use these articles in legal processes and for developing official Service policy. c. This disclaimer will be automatically attached to all articles we publish in the Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management and North American Fauna. When authors submit articles to these publications, they must confirm that they have read and understand this Order, and that they have provided a copy of the article to their supervisor.
Sec. 5 Why do I have to share my article with my immediate supervisor? We require that you provide a copy of the article to your supervisor solely to ensure he/she is aware it.
Sec. 6 What happens if I do not include the disclaimer or provide a copy of an article to my supervisor? This Order reflects the importance that we place on scientific publication and shows a high level of trust and faith in employee conduct. We consider failure to incorporate the disclaimer or provide articles to supervisors as a possible violation of our Scientific Code of Professional Conduct (see 212 FW 7.6).
Sec. 7 When is this Order effective? This Order is effective immediately. It remains in effect until we incorporate it into a new Service Manual chapter—117 FW 1, Managing the Service’s Scientific Publications—or until we amend, supersede, or revoke it, whichever comes first. If we do not incorporate it into the Service Manual, amend, supersede, or revoke it, the Order will expire 18 months from the date of signature.
/sgd/ Kenneth Stansell ACTING DIRECTOR
Date: December 10, 2008
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For specific information on the content of this Director's Order, contact the Office of the Science Advisor. For more information about the Web site, contact Krista Holloway in the Division of Policy and Directives Management.
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