Reports and Publications

Reports

Scientific Integrity Annual Reports

Each year, EPA’s Scientific Integrity program produces a report that chronicles the activities and initiatives that supported the implementation of EPA's Scientific Integrity Policy in that fiscal year. The annual reports are available below.

• 2019 Annual Report on Scientific Integrity
• 2018 Annual Report on Scientific Integrity
• 2017 Annual Report on Scientific Integrity
• 2016 Annual Report on Scientific Integrity
• 2015 Annual Report on Scientific Integrity
• 2014 Annual Report on Scientific Integrity
• 2013 Annual Report on Scientific Integrity

Office of Inspector General Report on Scientific Integrity

In 2020 the Office of Inspector General (OIG) released an audit that examined whether the EPA’s Scientific Integrity Policy was being implemented as intended to assure scientific integrity throughout the EPA. The OIG used the results of the survey and audit to make recommendations of further efforts needed to uphold scientific integrity policy at EPA. 

• Report: Further Efforts Needed to Uphold Scientific Integrity Policy at EPA

US Government Accountability Office Report, Scientific Integrity Policies 

• US Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report, Scientific Integrity Policies: Additional Actions Could Strengthen Integrity of Federal Research (GAO-19-265)

2021 Scientific Integrity Survey

To continually assess the implementation of the Scientific Integrity Policy, the Scientific Integrity Program launched a survey on May 19, 2021. This survey consisted of  questions and response items aimed at gauging employees’ awareness and understanding of the Policy and their experiences regarding the culture of scientific integrity at the Agency for a two-year recall period (2019-2020). 

• EPA 2021 Scientific Integrity Survey 

Scientific Integrity at EPA: Results of the 2016 Employee Survey

The Scientific Integrity Official and committee have established several ongoing activities to support Agency-wide implementation, including an assessment of the policy's effectiveness .  A survey was distributed to all EPA employees in the first quarter of fiscal year 2016 to ask employees about their opinions and experiences related to scientific integrity.

• Scientific Integrity at EPA: Results of the 2016 EPA Employee Survey

Related EPA Documents on Scientific Integrity

• Quality Assurance

  • The EPA Quality Program provides requirements for conducting quality management activities for all environmental information collection, production, evaluation, or use and environmental technology programs performed by or for the Agency. The primary goal of the program is to ensure that the Agency’s environmental decisions are supported by data of known and documented quality.

• Quality Assurance Handbook and Guidance Documents for Citizen Science Projects

• Peer Review

Related External Products and Publications

The scientific integrity program tracks external products and publications that concern scientific integrity. Below are a few select publications.

• Understanding our Political Nature – European Union
• Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers – UNESCO
• Meaningful Transparency at EPA- Bipartisan Policy Center
• Strengthening Transparency and Accountability at EPA- Bipartisan Policy Center
• Bipartisan Policy Center Releases Recommendations for Implementing Obama Scientific Integrity Order 
• Science for Policy Project- Bipartisan Policy Center 
• Government of Canada Model Policy on Scientific Integrity 
• Protecting the Integrity of Government Science- OSTP