Scientific Integrity NAO 202-735D.3 and Procedural Handbook

As stated in the NAO, “the purpose of this National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrative Order (NAO) is to promote a continuing culture of scientific excellence and integrity – and to establish a policy that ensures the integrity of the agency’s scientific activities used to inform management and policy decisions.”

This NAO also denotes the agency’s commitment to a culture of support for NOAA’s employees, which are its principal science asset. In addition, the intent of this policy is to strengthen universal confidence – from scientists to decision-makers to the general public – in the quality, validity, and reliability of NOAA science. For those reasons, this policy establishes that Research and Scientific Misconduct by any covered individual are prohibited.

The NAO was originally issued in 2011 in response to a memo from the Office of Science and Technology Policy on the topic of scientific integrity. The policy has since been revised in 2020 and 2024 and upholds federal-wide guidance on research misconduct,¹ the legislatively mandated guidance regarding the open exchange of research results and scientific communications,² Pub. L. No. 115-435 – Foundations for Evidenced-Based Policy Making Act of 2018, and Pub. L. No 106-554 – The Information Quality Act of 2000.

Under the NAO, scientific misconduct results when there is fabrication, falsification, plagiarism of or interference with scientific work conducted by the agency and its partners. When misconduct is discovered within NOAA, the agency corrects the scientific record. To clarify the process for identifying potential scientific misconduct and addressing allegations of scientific misconduct, a Procedural Handbook is also available.

¹ 65 FR 76260
² 42 USC 6620; 3-09-09 Scientific Integrity Memorandum; 12-17-2021 OSTP Scientific Integrity Guidance