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What are the recordkeeping requirements for peer review comments, peer review reconciliation, and draft documents associated with a given USGS information product? [040]

By Office of Science Quality and Integrity

Peer review comments and reconciliation documents must follow the National Archives and Records Administration-approved recordkeeping schedule requirements found in USGS General Records Disposition Schedule, Chapter 1300. These short-term, temporary records must be retained by the Bureau for 3 years after publishing or until they are no longer needed for reference, whichever is later. [Read more]

Peer review comments and peer review reconciliation documents, like manuscripts and other draft documents related to developing a final scientific information product, are considered part of the official "review and approval record" for that scientific information product and must follow the National Archives and Records Administration-approved recordkeeping schedule requirements found in the USGS General Records Disposition Schedule (GRDS), Chapter 1300. These short-term, temporary records must be retained by the Bureau for 3 years after publishing or until they are no longer needed for reference, whichever is later; then they may be destroyed. GRDS, Chapter 1300 allows employees to maintain these short-term, temporary records in one of two ways: as paper copies retained at the Science Center originating office (for sensitive or confidential documentation) or digitally in the Information Product Data System.