Peer Review of Scientific Information

The Division of Scientific Authority (DSA) in International Affairs is committed to using sound science in its decision making and to providing the American public with information of the highest quality possible.  We adhere to the goal of strengthening the Service’s tradition of scientific excellence and information quality in the conservation of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats.

On this website, DSA publishes information regarding influential and highly influential scientific information and our plans to manage it. We provide links to the Service’s guidelines for ensuring the objectivity, utility, and integrity of information that we use and disseminate.  We also link to mechanisms for allowing the public to seek correction of that information.

Peer review of Scientific Information
In order to ensure the quality and credibility of the scientific information disseminate to the public, The Fish and Wildlife Service has implemented a formal “peer review” process for influential and highly influential scientific documents. More information on this subject is available at the Service's Information Quality Web site. In addition, the Office of Management and Budget has published government-wide guidance to enhance the practice of peer review of government science documents.

Peer review is a way of assessing the quality and completeness of information, analysis, and conclusions contained in a document by submitting a draft of the document for scrutiny and comment by specialists in the field who were not involved in producing the draft. Typically, the draft's author will make corrections and clarification to address the comments of the peer reviewers.

Peer review Agenda
We have identified the following Division of Scientific Authority documents as meeting the OMB criteria for peer review of influential or highly influential scientific information. Click on a title to get more information about that document and the peer review process we have planned for it. This list will be updated as necessary.

Draft Document Title	Link(s) to Federal Register Notice(s)
Proposed rule to list 6 foreign bird species under the Endangered Species Act.	November 23, 2006 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Proposed Rule to list 6 foreign bird species as endangered.