Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Definitions in the NOAA Scientific Integrity Policy

The NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) on Scientific Integrity (NAO 202-735D.2) includes the following definitions in alphabetical order.

Any statement, claim or assertion of possible scientific misconduct made against a NOAA employee or contractor, or an employee of a NOAA research partner.

Any financial, personal, professional, political, legal or other non-financial interest, which may influence an individual’s scientific activities or judgment by:

  1. Impairing the individual’s objectivity;
  2. Creating an unfair competitive advantage for any person or organization; or
  3. Creating the appearance of either item listed above.

Those persons referenced in Section 2.01 of NAO 202-735D.2, which includes:

  1. All NOAA employees, political and career, including members of the Senior Executive Service and members of the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps, who engage in, supervise, or manage scientific activities, analyze and/or publicly communicate information resulting from scientific activities, or use scientific information or analyses in making bureau or office policy, management, or regulatory decisions, unless excepted under a collective bargaining agreement; and
  2. All contractors who engage in, or assist with, activities identified above.
  3. Recipients of NOAA financial assistance awards, including NOAA Cooperative Institutes, NOAA research partners, and other collaborators, are responsible for abiding by the principles contained in the NAO regarding NOAA’s commitment to Scientific Integrity, as specified in award agreements or in other written agreements with NOAA.

Employees who are authorized to, or may, do the following:

  1. Make determinations about policy or management, including determinations on, or during, the development of policies;
  2. Make determinations about expenditures of Department of Commerce or NOAA funds;
  3. Implement or manage activities that involve, or rely on, scientific activities; or
  4. Supervise employees who engage in scientific activities.

Making up data or scientific results and recording or reporting them.

(Reference: Federal Policy on Research Misconduct, 65 F.R. 76262 (2000))

Manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record.

(Reference: Federal Policy on Research Misconduct, 65 F.R. 76262 (2000))

Any matter affecting a personal financial interest or a financial interest imputed to the individual (including, but not limited to, the individual’s spouse, minor child, general partner or employee, any person or organization with whom the individual is negotiating or has any arrangement concerning prospective employment, and any entity for which the individual serves in a personal capacity as an officer or board member, such as due to fiduciary duties to the organization under state law).

Public communication prepared as part of the employee’s official work regarding the products of basic or applied research in science and engineering, the results of which ordinarily are published and shared broadly within the scientific community. Matters of policy, budget, or management are not considered Fundamental Research Communications.

  1. Suppressing, altering, or otherwise impeding, the content or timely release of scientific or technological findings or conclusions, unless explicitly required by a Department or government-wide statute, regulation, Executive Order, Presidential Memorandum, or other legal authority; or
  2. Intimidating or coercing employees, contractors, recipients of financial assistance awards, or others to suppress, alter, censor, or otherwise impede the content or timely release of scientific or technological findings or conclusions; or
  3. Implementing or causing to be implemented institutional barriers to cooperation and the timely communication of scientific or technological findings or conclusions.

The appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit.

(Reference: Federal Policy on Research Misconduct, 65 F.R. 76262 (2000))

Research is creative and systemic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of humankind, culture and society, and to devise new applications of available knowledge.

  1. Basic research is experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge of the underlying foundations of phenomena and observable facts, without any particular application or use in view.
  2. Applied research is original investigation undertaken in order to acquire new knowledge. It is however, directed primarily towards a specific, practical aim or objective.

Development is the systematic work, drawing on knowledge gained from research and practical experience and producing additional knowledge, which is directed to producing new products or processes or to improving existing products or processes.8 Testing is an important part of the development process.

Science at NOAA is the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the ocean, coasts, freshwater lakes, atmosphere (and the region of space close to Earth), and their related ecosystems, including people; and the integration of research, analysis, observations, monitoring, and environmental modeling, or subsets of those and related fields of study.

NOAA science includes discoveries and new understanding of the oceans and atmosphere and their relationship to humans and the application of this understanding to issues such as the:

  1. Causes and consequences of climate change;
  2. Physical dynamics of high-impact weather events;
  3. Dynamics of complex ecosystems and biodiversity; and the
  4. Ability to model and forecast the future states of natural and human systems.

Science provides the fundamental basis of the service and stewardship elements of NOAA’s mission.

Activities that involve inventorying, monitoring, observations, experimentation, study, research, integration, modeling, and scientific assessment.

Scientific activities are conducted in a manner specified by standard protocols and procedures and include any of the physical, biological, or social sciences, as well as engineering and mathematics, or any combination of these.

Scientific misconduct is an intentional, knowing, or negligent (i.e., should have known) and significant departure from the Code of Scientific Conduct or the Code of Ethics for Supervisors and Managers. This type of misconduct includes, but is not limited to, fabrication, falsification, plagiarism and interference.

Research misconduct is fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results. Research misconduct does not include honest error or differences of opinion,10 and may be committed intentionally, knowingly or recklessly.

Evaluation of a body of scientific or technical knowledge that typically synthesizes multiple factual inputs, data, models, and assumptions, and implies the use of best professional judgment to bridge uncertainties in the available information.

The condition resulting from adherence to professional values and practices when conducting and applying the results of science that ensures objectivity, clarity, and reproducibility, and that provides insulation from bias, fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, interference, censorship, and inadequate procedural and information security.

The results of scientific activities including the analysis, synthesis, compilation, or translation of scientific information and data into electronic and hardcopy formats for the use of NOAA, the Department of Commerce, or the Nation. These products include, but are not limited to, experimental and operational models, forecasts, graphics, and verbal and written communications of all kinds relating to scientific activities, including NOAA social media accounts.

Suppression of Science includes deliberate:

  1. Withholding, delaying publication, or postponing dissemination of scientific or research work in the absence of a clear and compelling reason to do so;
  2. Distorting or selective releasing of scientific analysis, assessment, research, product, or data for public communication;
  3. Discrediting of scientific analysis, assessment, research, product, or data for public communication; or
  4. Attempting to impede a scientist’s activities or undermine or penalize the scientist for making adverse findings or discovering unfavorable data.

The ability to verify sources, data, information, methodology, results, assessments, research, analysis, conclusions or other evidence to establish the integrity of findings.

Characterized by visibility or accessibility of information. The quality or state of being transparent.

Additional Definitions Relevant to the NOAA Scientific Integrity Policy

Activities that reflect norms for conduct that distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behavior, such as honesty, lawfulness, equity, and professionalism in the conduct of scientific activities. Federal scientists and managers are also subject to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch.

(Reference: www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/Resources/Standards+of+Ethical
+Conduct+for+Employees+of+the+Executive+Branch)

The quality of being explicit, unbiased, honest, and impartial.

To conduct oneself with the qualities that are characterized by skill, competence, ethics, and courtesy.

Quick Links

NOAA Scientific Integrity Policy

Learn more about NOAA’s Scientific Integrity Policy

Guidance on Scientific and Professional Activities

Understand the guidelines for NOAA employees

Submitting Allegations

Find information about how to submit an allegation

Annual NOAA Scientific Integrity Reports

Find our annual reports here