Federal Research: Policies Guiding the Dissemination of 	 
Scientific Research from Selected Agencies Should Be Clarified	 
and Better Communicated (17-MAY-07, GAO-07-653).		 
                                                                 
Researchers at federal agencies disseminate their research	 
results through a variety of approaches, including scientific	 
publications, presentations, press releases, and media		 
interviews. Because of recent concerns about some federal	 
researchers possibly being restricted from disseminating their	 
research on controversial topics, GAO determined (1) the policies
that guide the dissemination of federal research at the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National	 
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the National	 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); (2) how		 
effectively these agencies have communicated their policies to	 
researchers; and (3) the extent to which researchers have been	 
restricted in disseminating their research. GAO conducted a	 
survey of 1,811 researchers randomly selected at the three	 
agencies, and had a 66 percent response rate.			 
-------------------------Indexing Terms------------------------- 
REPORTNUM:   GAO-07-653 					        
    ACCNO:   A69734						        
  TITLE:     Federal Research: Policies Guiding the Dissemination of  
Scientific Research from Selected Agencies Should Be Clarified	 
and Better Communicated 					 
     DATE:   05/17/2007 
  SUBJECT:   Employee training					 
	     Federal agencies					 
	     Federal regulations				 
	     Government information dissemination		 
	     Information management				 
	     Information resources management			 
	     Mass media 					 
	     Policy evaluation					 
	     Research and development				 
	     Surveys						 
	     Policies and procedures				 

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GAO-07-653

   

     * [1]FEDERAL RESEARCH
     * [2]Policies Guiding the Dissemination of Scientific Research fr

          * [3]Contents
          * [4]Letter

               * [5]Results in Brief
               * [6]Background
               * [7]NASA, NIST, and NOAA Policies Generally Facilitate the
                 Disse

                    * [8]NASA Policies Provide Clear Guidance to Facilitate
                      Research
                    * [9]NIST and NOAA Policies Provide Clear Guidance to
                      Facilitate
                    * [10]Researchers at NIST and NOAA Have to Comply with
                      Commerce an

                         * [11]Researchers at NIST and NOAA Are Subject to
                           Outdated Commerc
                         * [12]Researchers at NIST Have Been Provided with
                           Supplemental Age
                         * [13]Researchers at NOAA Are Subject to Unclear
                           Agency-Level Medi

               * [14]Despite Agencies' Efforts to Communicate Research
                 Disseminat

                    * [15]Most Researchers Learned about Agency Dissemination
                      Policies
                    * [16]Researchers Have More Concerns about Adhering to
                      Their Agenc
                    * [17]Researchers Are Often Unclear about Whether They
                      Can Discuss
                    * [18]Researchers Are Generally Unaware of Their
                      Agencies' Process

               * [19]Six Percent of Researchers at NASA, NIST, and NOAA Had
                 Disse

                    * [20]Some Researchers at Each Agency Who Were Denied
                      Approval to
                    * [21]Researchers Believe That Their Agencies Provide
                      Greater Supp
                    * [22]Most Researchers Generally Believe That
                      Dissemination Polici

               * [23]OSTP Provides Indirect Oversight of Agencies'
                 Dissemination
               * [24]Conclusions
               * [25]Recommendations for Executive Action
               * [26]Agency Comments and Our Evaluation

          * [27]Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology
          * [28]Appendix II: Selected Survey Results for NASA, NIST, and NOA
          * [29]Appendix III: Comments from the Department of Commerce
          * [30]Appendix IV: Comments from the National Aeronautics and Spac
          * [31]Appendix V: Comments from the Office of Science and Technolo
          * [32]Appendix VI: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments

               * [33]GAO Contact
               * [34]Staff Acknowledgments

                    * [35]Order by Mail or Phone

     * [36]PDF6-Ordering Information.pdf

          * [37]Order by Mail or Phone

Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and
Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate

United States Government Accountability Office

GAO

May 2007

FEDERAL RESEARCH

Policies Guiding the Dissemination of Scientific Research from Selected
Agencies Should Be Clarified and Better Communicated

GAO-07-653

Contents

Letter 1

Results in Brief 4
Background 7
NASA, NIST, and NOAA Policies Generally Facilitate the Dissemination of
Research, but Some Do Not 11
Despite Agencies' Efforts to Communicate Research Dissemination and
Dispute Resolution Policies, Many Researchers Are Not Confident about How
to Comply with Them 20
Six Percent of Researchers at NASA, NIST, and NOAA Had Dissemination
Requests Denied, and Many Believe That Their Agencies Are Less Supportive
of Media Interviews than Other Dissemination Methods 26
OSTP Provides Indirect Oversight of Agencies' Dissemination Policies 31
Conclusions 32
Recommendations for Executive Action 33
Agency Comments and Our Evaluation 33
Appendix I Objectives, Scope, and Methodology 35
Appendix II Selected Survey Results for NASA, NIST, and NOAA 40
Appendix III Comments from the Department of Commerce 88
Appendix IV Comments from the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration 93
Appendix V Comments from the Office of Science and Technology Policy 95
Appendix VI GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments 96

Figures

Figure 1: NOAA/Commerce News Release Review Process, as of March 2006 19
Figure 2: Estimated Percentage of Researchers Who Learned How to Comply
with Dissemination Policies through Various Methods 22
Figure 3: Estimated Percentage of Researchers Who Are Confident That They
Understand Policies Well Enough to Follow Them 23
Figure 4: Estimated Percentage of Researchers Who Believe That Their
Agency Supports Dissemination, by Dissemination Route 29
Figure 5: Estimated Percentage of Researchers Who Believe That Their
Agency Consistently Applies Policies, by Dissemination Route 31

Abbreviations

EOP Executive Office of the President
NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
OMB Office of Management and Budget
OSTP Office of Science and Technology Policy
OPCIA Office of Public, Constituent, and Intergovernmental Affairs

This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright
protection in the United States. It may be reproduced and distributed in
its entirety without further permission from GAO. However, because this
work may contain copyrighted images or other material, permission from the
copyright holder may be necessary if you wish to reproduce this material
separately.

United States Government Accountability Office
Washington, DC 20548

May 17, 2007

The Honorable Barbara A. Mikulski
Chairman
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate 

Dear Madam Chairman:

Federal agencies strive to base science-related public policy on the best
available information provided through objective research, some of which
is conducted by federal researchers. Because progress in scientific
understanding depends on open communication, sharing research results with
the broader research community is necessary to help validate and expand
upon these results. While the results of some research cannot be
disseminated because of national security or intellectual property
concerns, dissemination of most federally funded research helps ensure a
maximum return on the public's investment in this research. Much
scientific research is either conducted by federally employed researchers
or supported through grants and contracts awarded by over a dozen federal
departments and agencies, such as the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
This report focuses on the dissemination of research conducted by
federally employed researchers at these three agencies, as you requested.
Federal agencies strive to base science-related public policy on the best
available information provided through objective research, some of which
is conducted by federal researchers. Because progress in scientific
understanding depends on open communication, sharing research results with
the broader research community is necessary to help validate and expand
upon these results. While the results of some research cannot be
disseminated because of national security or intellectual property
concerns, dissemination of most federally funded research helps ensure a
maximum return on the public's investment in this research. Much
scientific research is either conducted by federally employed researchers
or supported through grants and contracts awarded by over a dozen federal
departments and agencies, such as the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
This report focuses on the dissemination of research conducted by
federally employed researchers at these three agencies, as you requested.

The topics of research performed by NASA, NIST, and NOAA cover the gamut,
from space exploration equipment to voting technology to fishery ecosystem
health. For example, NASA's research is diverse and is spread among 10
centers across the United States. These centers perform work that covers
topics ranging from aeronautical research to exploration systems to Earth,
moon, and space exploration. NIST, an agency within the Department of
Commerce, conducts research that is used by a variety of government and
industrial customers in diverse areas, such as electronic voting
technology, secured automated banking, drinking water quality, and fuel
cell technology. Research at NIST is spread across various laboratories
that focus on particular scientific pursuits, such as information
technology, materials science and engineering, and building The topics of
research performed by NASA, NIST, and NOAA cover the gamut, from space
exploration equipment to voting technology to fishery ecosystem health.
For example, NASA's research is diverse and is spread among 10 centers
across the United States. These centers perform work that covers topics
ranging from aeronautical research to exploration systems to Earth, moon,
and space exploration. NIST, an agency within the Department of Commerce,
conducts research that is used by a variety of government and industrial
customers in diverse areas, such as electronic voting technology, secured
automated banking, drinking water quality, and fuel cell technology.
Research at NIST is spread across various laboratories that focus on
particular scientific pursuits, such as information technology, materials
science and engineering, and building and fire research. Similarly, the
breadth of research activities undertaken by NOAA, another Commerce
agency, includes providing weather, water, and climate services; managing
and protecting fisheries and sensitive marine ecosystems; conducting
atmospheric, climate, and ecosystems research; and promoting efficient and
environmentally safe commerce and transportation.

Research generated by NASA, NIST, and NOAA researchers can be disseminated
through a number of different routes to reach a variety of audiences. Some
dissemination routes, such as through publications, including
peer-reviewed journals and agency scientific and technical reports, are
useful for sharing information with the scientific community. Similarly,
researchers can present their findings to colleagues at conferences,
workshops, symposia, or professional society meetings. Other dissemination
routes can reach a still wider audience. For example, agency press
releases or postings on agency Web sites can help target media attention
to particular research findings, and media interviews can provide the
general public with access to scientific information.

In recent years, concerns have emerged regarding the possibility that
limits are being placed on the efforts of federally employed researchers
to share the results of their work through these various dissemination
routes. For example, in January 2006, the press reported allegations that
a NASA scientist was restricted from speaking with the press after
presenting his research findings related to climate change at a
conference. In addition, some researchers at NOAA have claimed that the
agency had put restrictions on their ability to speak to reporters, had
imposed delays in the approval and coordination process for speaking with
the media, or had censored their views in issued reports.

In this context, we (1) identified and evaluated the policies that guide
the dissemination of federal research results at NASA, NIST, and NOAA; (2)
determined how effectively the dissemination and dispute resolution
policies of these agencies have been communicated to researchers; and (3)
determined the extent to which researchers at these agencies have
experienced restrictions on the dissemination of their research results.
In addition, we obtained information on the role that the Office of
Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has identified for itself in helping
agencies develop and implement policies related to the dissemination of
research results.

To identify and evaluate the policies that guide the dissemination of
federally funded research results at NASA, NIST, and NOAA, we obtained,
reviewed, and analyzed the dissemination policies for these agencies, in
addition to relevant policies from Commerce. In addition, we spoke with
managers and researchers at NASA, NIST, and NOAA as well as public affairs
officials at each of these agencies and Commerce. During these interviews,
we confirmed that we had copies of the relevant dissemination policies and
discussed how these policies were put into practice. To determine how
effectively these policies have been communicated to researchers and the
extent to which researchers at these agencies have experienced
restrictions on the dissemination of their research results, we surveyed a
stratified random sample of 1,811 researchers across scientific and
engineering disciplines at NASA, NIST, and NOAA. This sample included 578
NASA researchers, 699 NIST researchers, and 534 NOAA researchers. We
selected these 1,811 researchers from among the 1,794 researchers at NASA,
1,337 researchers at NIST, and 1,815 researchers at NOAA. Overall, we
received a 66 percent response rate to our survey, for a total of 1,177
respondents. We defined researchers to be included in our population as
federally employed scientists, engineers, or other researchers who are in
a position to disseminate their research results to a wider audience.
Through our survey, we sought the researchers' views on their agencies'
research dissemination policies, the level of agency support for
dissemination, and their experiences with dissemination. In addition, we
asked the researchers to provide examples of ways in which their agencies'
dissemination policies work well and ways in which these policies could be
improved. All estimates based on our survey allow us to project the
results of our survey to all researchers at these three agencies with a 95
percent level of confidence. Unless otherwise noted, all percentage
estimates have a 95 percent confidence interval within plus or minus 8
percentage points. In addition, any comparison between point estimates is
statistically significant at the 0.05 level, unless otherwise noted. In
one instance, the number of responses to three follow-up questions
designed to elicit elaborative information received too few responses to
generalize to the population. Although we cannot generalize from these
responses, we included this information because it provides context for
specific concerns that these respondents had about certain research
dissemination policies at their agencies. Where we use this information,
we highlight the fact that it cannot be generalized to the population by
attributing the statements as a survey response, rather than as researcher
perception. To determine OSTP's role in helping agencies develop and
implement policies for the dissemination of research results, we submitted
detailed questions to OSTP officials, to which we received written
responses. Appendix I contains an expanded explanation of our scope and
methodology, and appendix II contains selected survey results for NASA,
NIST, and NOAA. We conducted our work from June 2006 through March 2007 in
accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.

Results in Brief

Most of the policies guiding the dissemination of scientific research at
NASA, NIST, and NOAA generally facilitate the dissemination process, but
some Commerce and NOAA policies lack clarity and can hinder dissemination.
Specifically, we found the following:

           o At NASA, researchers must comply with both agencywide
           dissemination policies and policies established by the specific
           NASA centers to which they belong. We found that NASA policies are
           generally clear and should help facilitate the dissemination of
           research results. For example, NASA's recently revised media
           policy clearly defines the roles and responsibilities for
           managers, researchers, and public affairs staff; details steps in
           the process for dissemination via press releases and interviews;
           and describes a process to resolve disputes about agency decisions
           regarding press releases. To supplement the policy, NASA has also
           developed operating procedures for the release of public
           information and a "Frequently Asked Questions" guide.
           o At NIST, researchers must comply with both agency-level policies
           for the dissemination of research through publications and
           presentations and Commerce's department-level policies for
           dissemination of research through media interviews and press
           releases. NIST's policies generally facilitate the dissemination
           of scientific results because they clearly describe the reviews
           that are required before publications and presentations may be
           released, and they describe the process that researchers may use
           to appeal decisions made during the review process. In contrast,
           Commerce's policies that apply to requests for media interviews
           and press releases have not been revised for over 20 years, are
           unrealistic, and may hinder dissemination efforts. For example,
           Commerce requires all of its constituent agencies to submit
           proposed media interviews and press releases to its
           department-level Office of Public Affairs for review and approval;
           it does not delegate authority to approve these activities to the
           agency-level public affairs offices. Because of the potentially
           high volume of requests, sometimes in the hundreds after a large
           event, it is not realistic to expect the department-level Office
           of Public Affairs to review every media interview and press
           release request that each Commerce agency generates.
           o At NOAA, researchers must comply with both agency-level policies
           and policies established by individual NOAA program offices for
           dissemination of research through publications and presentations.
           These policies generally facilitate dissemination, because they
           are clear and delegate authority to approve dissemination requests
           to managers in the office to which the researcher belongs. For
           dissemination of research through press releases and media
           interviews, NOAA researchers must comply not only with Commerce's
           department-level policies, which as previously mentioned are
           outdated and may hinder dissemination, but also with NOAA's
           agencywide policies, which are unclear and may further impede
           dissemination. For example, the lack of clarity in NOAA's media
           interview policy has led to different interpretations of the
           policy by NOAA public affairs officials, which results in an
           uneven application of the policy among researchers. Some public
           affairs officials have interpreted the policy to mean that
           researchers are required to obtain prior approval for all
           interviews, while others believe researchers have to notify the
           public affairs office only after the interview has occurred.

           Despite the agencies' efforts to communicate their dissemination
           policies to researchers, many researchers are not confident that
           they know how to comply with some of these policies or how to
           resolve disputes regarding agency decisions, according to our
           survey. NASA, NIST, and NOAA have employed a variety of formal and
           informal methods, including staff meetings and notifications on
           agency Web sites, to communicate dissemination policy to their
           researchers. However, most researchers learned how to comply with
           their agency's policies through informal methods, such as e-mails
           from management and on-the-job experience, rather than through
           more formal means, such as training sessions. Moreover, many
           researchers are not confident that they understand all of the
           policies well enough to follow them. For example, according to our
           survey, while an estimated 90 percent of researchers across all
           three agencies believe they understand their agency's policy for
           dissemination through publications well enough to comply with
           them, only about 65 percent of researchers believe they understand
           their agency's policies for media interviews and press releases.
           Similarly, although NASA and NOAA leaders have told researchers
           that they may discuss potential policy implications of their
           research as long as they identify such views as their personal
           opinions and not those of the agency, this communication has not
           been effective, as fewer than one-half of the researchers at these
           two agencies believe they are free to discuss their views. In
           addition, only 25 percent of researchers across all three agencies
           are aware of a process or procedure they are to follow if they
           want to appeal denials of requests to disseminate their research.

           On the basis of our survey results, we estimate that 6 percent
           (about 200) of the researchers across NASA, NIST, and NOAA have
           been denied approval to disseminate their research results in the
           past 5 years. Despite the difficulties experienced by these
           researchers, most researchers believe that their agency either
           encourages dissemination of research results or insists on it.
           However, researchers believe that, overall, their agencies tend to
           be less supportive of dissemination through media interviews than
           through other dissemination routes. Among the most common reasons
           researchers mentioned for denials of their requests for
           dissemination, other than those stemming from standard technical
           review, is that the topic or issue of the research was sensitive
           or that the research was restricted for security reasons. In some
           instances, researchers reported that their agency gave them no
           reason for the denial. As a result of these denials, many of these
           researchers gave up trying to disseminate their results, while
           others subsequently disseminated the results of their work using a
           different dissemination route. For example, one researcher who had
           been denied permission to present his research at a conference
           went on to disseminate the research results by publishing a paper.
           Regarding agency support for dissemination, over 90 percent of the
           researchers at NASA, NIST, and NOAA believe that their agency
           supports dissemination of research results through publications
           and presentations; and significantly fewer researchers, ranging
           from 54 percent of the researchers at NOAA to 68 percent of the
           researchers at NIST, believe that their agency is supportive of
           dissemination through media interviews. Finally, most researchers
           at NIST and NOAA believe that their agencies consistently apply
           the dissemination policies for each route of dissemination. In
           contrast, more researchers at NASA believe that the agency
           consistently applies its policies for publications than believe
           that the agency consistently applies its policies for press
           releases and media interviews.

           According to OSTP, it does not conduct scientific research on its
           own nor does it formulate or directly oversee the development of
           dissemination policies or decisions at individual agencies.
           However, OSTP has publicly affirmed the value of science as a
           basis for federal action and recognizes the importance of timely,
           complete, and accurate communication of scientific information.
           The OSTP Director has on several occasions asked the leaders and
           chief scientists of federal agencies to develop, revise, or
           reemphasize their dissemination policies and to ensure that agency
           employees and managers understand their rights and obligations
           under these policies. The director has cited NASA's media policy
           as a model for other agencies to consider in developing their own
           dissemination policies.

           Given the lack of clarity of some dissemination policies, the lack
           of a process for appealing dissemination decisions, and researcher
           uncertainty about how to comply with these policies, we are
           recommending that Commerce and NOAA clarify their policies for
           disseminating research results via press releases and media
           interviews. Furthermore, we are recommending that Commerce, NASA,
           NIST, and NOAA review their dissemination policies and ensure that
           they clearly identify a process by which researchers can appeal
           dissemination decisions, and provide formal training to inform,
           reinforce, and update managers, researchers, and public affairs
           staff on these policies. Commerce, on behalf of NIST, NOAA, and
           itself, generally concurred with our findings and recommendations;
           NASA and OSTP concurred with our recommendations.
			  
			  Background

           In recent years, there have been a number of allegations
           concerning interference with federal researchers in their efforts
           to disseminate their research results to a wider audience,
           external to their agency.^1 Many of these allegations have
           concerned interference with researchers' attempts to speak with
           the media or present research findings at conferences. These
           claims have frequently surrounded research on politically
           sensitive topics, such as climate change and the role it may play
           in connection to other weather events, such as hurricanes. For
           example, some federal researchers have alleged that they were not
           allowed to use the phrase "global warming," and others have
           alleged that NOAA has limited scientific debate by not reporting
           all of the research regarding a possible connection between global
           warming and increased hurricane intensity.

           These concerns have resulted in a number of inquiries into the
           dissemination practices and policies at several federal agencies.
           For example, in May 2006, in response to a congressional request,
           the National Science Foundation's National Science Board examined
           the existing policies of selected federal science agencies,
           including NASA and NOAA, to determine if they contained steps to
           ensure the credibility of research results and insulate these
           results from suppression or distortion. The board found that there
           was no consistent federal policy regarding the dissemination of
           research results by federal employees and recommended that all
           agencies that conduct research establish policies and procedures
           to encourage an open exchange of data and results. The board also
           recommended that the administration develop and issue an
           overarching set of principles for the communication of scientific
           information by government scientists, policymakers, and managers
           that could be used as the framework under which each agency would
           develop its specific policies and procedures.
			  
^1GAO, Data Quality: Expanded Use of Key Dissemination Practices Would
Further Safeguard the Integrity of Federal Statistical Data,
[38]GAO-06-607 (Washington, D.C.: May 31, 2006); and Bureau of Justice
Statistics: Quality Guidelines Generally Followed for Police-Public
Contact Surveys, but Opportunities Exist to Help Assure Agency
Independence, [39]GAO-07-340 (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 30, 2007).

           In addition to the National Science Board review, other groups
           have sought information on the dissemination activities of federal
           agencies. For example, in 2005, Environmental Science and
           Technology, an online and print journal published by the American
           Chemical Society, requested and received copies of NOAA Office of
           Public Affairs documents through the Freedom of Information Act
           pertaining to climate change, including exchanges between NOAA
           scientists and public affairs staff. Furthermore, in September
           2006, 14 Senators requested that the Inspectors General at
           Commerce and NASA investigate reports of political interference
           with the work of scientists at NASA and NOAA. In February 2007,
           the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Government
           Accountability Project, two nongovernmental advocacy
           organizations, jointly issued a report examining the extent to
           which politics play a role in scientific research. More recently,
           over the first few months of 2007, Congress has held several
           hearings exploring allegations of political interference with the
           work of government climate change scientists.
			  
^2Although these 13 entities are typically bureaus or administrations, for
the purposes of this report we refer to them as "agencies."

           A number of federal agencies conduct scientific research that is
           used to inform federal policy decisions. This report focuses on
           NASA and 2 of the 13 agencies within Commerce--NIST and NOAA.^2
           NASA's organic statute--the National Aeronautics and Space Act of
           1958, as amended--calls for NASA to "provide for the widest
           practicable and appropriate dissemination" of the scientific and
           technical information resulting from NASA's research efforts. This
           work is structured around four mission areas--aeronautics
           research, exploration systems, science, and space operations--and
           is performed at 10 research and flight centers across the United
           States. Each of these centers performs a variety of research,
           engineering, construction, and support functions related to the
           mission areas, and each has a separate management structure,
           including a center director, to guide its activities. Furthermore,
           each center has its own public affairs office that is responsible
           for managing the center's media contacts and communications. In
           addition, NASA headquarters has its own public affairs office that
           oversees agencywide programs and activities to coordinate and
           maintain open and credible communication channels to the news
           media and the public.

           Each of Commerce's 13 agencies is headed by its own director,
           undersecretary, or assistant secretary. Even though each of these
           agencies has its own public affairs office, Commerce's Office of
           Public Affairs is responsible for overseeing public affairs
           interactions for the department, such as issuing press releases
           and answering media inquiries, as well as for keeping abreast of
           the activities at all 13 agencies, many of which disseminate
           research results, as is the case with NIST and NOAA. NIST's
           mission is "to promote U.S. innovation and industrial
           competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and
           technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our
           quality of life." To a large extent, this mission is fulfilled by
           the research undertaken by scientists, engineers, and technical
           experts at the agency's Maryland and Colorado facilities. NIST is
           specifically required to disseminate research conducted under
           several of its programs. Most research at NIST is conducted at one
           of its eight laboratories, covering research areas such as
           manufacturing engineering, physics, and information technology. It
           is NIST's policy to publish the results of these technical
           programs openly, widely, and promptly, and this is accomplished
           through scientific reports issued by researchers as well as press
           releases and Web-based newsletters issued by NIST's Public and
           Business Affairs Office. NOAA is the largest of the Commerce
           agencies, and its work is structured around four program
           goals--ecosystems, climate, weather and water, and commerce and
           transportation--and seven operating organizations, or program
           offices.^3 Similar to NASA and NIST, NOAA headquarters has a
           public affairs office--the Office of Communications--which is led
           by a director and tasked with facilitating media and public
           communications with the agency.^4 Each of NOAA's program offices
           also has a public affairs officer who reports to the director of
           the Office of Communications and serves as the primary public
           affairs contact for program office researchers.
			  
^3These program offices are also referred to as "line offices" and include
the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research; the National Environmental
Satellite, Data, and Information Service; the National Marine and Aviation
Operations; the National Marine Fisheries Service; the National Ocean
Service; the National Weather Service; and the Office of Program Planning
and Integration.

^4NOAA's public affairs office, previously called the "Office of Public,
Constituent, and Intergovernmental Affairs," was renamed the "Office of
Communications" in January 2007.			  

           Research dissemination at each of these agencies is guided by
           departmental or agency policies. In addition, the Office of
           Management and Budget (OMB) has also issued guidelines and
           bulletins that have an impact on the dissemination of research
           results. For example, in October 2001, OMB issued its Guidelines
           for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility, and
           Integrity of Information Disseminated by Federal Agencies, which
           required agencies to issue their own guidelines to ensure the
           quality of information being disseminated.^5 NASA, NIST, and NOAA
           have all issued their own information quality guidelines.^6 In
           addition, OMB issued the Final Information Quality Bulletin for
           Peer Review in December 2004 that established governmentwide
           guidance establishing that important scientific information shall
           be peer-reviewed by qualified specialists before it is
           disseminated by the federal government. Among other things, the
           bulletin provides guidance to federal agencies on what information
           is subject to peer review and requires agencies to begin a
           systematic process of peer-review planning for influential
           scientific information (including highly influential scientific
           assessments) that the agency plans to disseminate in the
           foreseeable future.

           In addition to the research activities of specific agencies, OSTP
           advises the President and others in the Executive Office of the
           President (EOP) on the effects of science and technology on
           matters being considered in the policymaking process. OSTP serves
           as a source of scientific and technological information and advice
           for the President with respect to major policies of the federal
           government and acts as the scientific and technical arm of the EOP
           policymaking process. As part of this work, OSTP and OMB
           collaborate to help agencies develop research and development
           budgets to address national priorities. OSTP meets regularly with
           agency staff as well as representatives of industry, academia, and
           the general public to seek or share information about science and
           technology policy and leads interagency efforts to develop and
           implement science and technology policies.
			  
^5These guidelines implement section 515 of the Treasury and General
Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001. Section 515 directs
OMB to issue governmentwide guidelines that "provide policy and procedural
guidance to Federal agencies for ensuring and maximizing the quality,
objectivity, utility, and integrity of information (including statistical
information) disseminated by Federal agencies." Within 1 year after OMB
issued these guidelines, agencies were to issue their own implementing
guidelines. Pub. L. No. 106-554 S 515, 114 Stat. 2763A-154 (2000).

^6Commerce issued its information quality guidelines in October 2002. In
addition, in light of the diversity of the department's mission, these
guidelines directed each of the department's operating units to issue
their own guidelines.

           NASA, NIST, and NOAA Policies Generally Facilitate the
			  Dissemination of Research, but Some Do Not

           Researchers at NASA, NIST, and NOAA must comply with both office
           specific and agencywide or departmental-level policies, most of
           which facilitate dissemination of research. NASA's researchers are
           subject to agency-level policies and center-specific policies for
           the dissemination of research through publications, presentations,
           press releases, and media interviews, and these policies generally
           facilitate dissemination. NIST and NOAA have agency-level policies
           that generally facilitate the dissemination of research results
           through publications and presentations. Researchers at NIST and
           NOAA must follow both agency-level policies and guidance and
           Commerce's department-level policies if they want to disseminate
           their research through media interviews and press releases.
           However, NOAA's agency-level and Commerce's department-level
           policies may hinder dissemination through these routes.
			  
           NASA Policies Provide Clear Guidance to Facilitate Research
			  Dissemination

           At NASA, researchers must comply with both agencywide policies and
           center-specific policies when disseminating research results,
           regardless of the form this dissemination takes. For example, for
           publications and presentations, all researchers are directed to
           comply with the agency's policy for approval, publication, and
           dissemination of scientific and technical information.^7
           Scientific and technical information is defined as the
           results--including facts, analyses, and conclusions--of basic and
           applied scientific, technical, and related engineering research
           and development. This information can be disseminated through a
           variety of channels, including NASA publications, outside
           journals, presentations at meetings or workshops, and Web sites.
           The policy directs that all scientific and technical information
           released outside the agency through these means must be reviewed
           to determine whether public access to it should be prohibited or
           restricted, for national security or intellectual property
           reasons. In addition, NASA's policies direct that all research
           results that are to be disseminated undergo professional and
           technical reviews to ensure that the information is being clearly
           communicated, is technically accurate, and meets data quality
           standards. These technical review and management approval
           procedures vary depending upon the information content,
           publication route, and intended audience--domestic or
           international. To indicate that a document has completed the
           necessary reviews, researchers generally must complete two
           forms--one identifying what restrictions, if any, need to be
           placed on the document prior to dissemination and the other
           indicating that the document has undergone technical peer review.
           NASA managers with whom we spoke at the centers said that they
           found the agency's policies to be clear, easy to follow, and
           similar to procedures researchers follow in the academic
           community, although some said that the agency's reviews to
           identify security restrictions can be cumbersome at times.
			  
^7NASA, "Requirements for Documentation, Approval, and Dissemination of
NASA Scientific and Technical Information," NPR 2200.2B, March 25, 2005.

           Regarding dissemination of research through media interviews and
           press releases, researchers at NASA are subject to the agency's
           policy on the release of information to news and information
           media, hereafter referred to as the "media policy." This policy,
           which was revised in March 2006, governs the release of
           information to the media, especially information with the
           potential to generate significant media or public interest,
           including press releases, media advisories, news features, and Web
           postings.^8 According to NASA, the media policy in place prior to
           March 2006 had not been substantively modified since 1987 and
           required clarification to be both useful and practical to
           implement. Furthermore, the NASA public affairs policy review
           team, composed of representatives from throughout NASA's
           scientific and public affairs offices, found that the previous
           policies were convoluted, bureaucratic, and resulted in a
           breakdown between researchers and public affairs staff.

           We found that NASA's revised 2006 media policy is generally clear
           and should help facilitate dissemination of research results by
           devolving decision making and providing a process to resolve
           disputes. The policy, its accompanying "Frequently Asked
           Questions" guide, and statements by the NASA Administrator assert
           NASA's commitment to a culture of openness with the media and the
           public and affirm that the agency values the free exchange of
           ideas, data, and information as part of scientific and technical
           inquiry. The policy defines the roles, responsibilities, and
           methods of coordination for managers, researchers, and public
           affairs staff and lays out guidelines for working with the public
           affairs office, clearly stating what public affairs officials can
           and cannot do. Specifically, regarding media interviews, the
           updated policy clearly affirms that NASA employees may speak to
           the media and public about their work without prior approval;
           however, they must notify their immediate supervisor and their
           center public affairs office immediately thereafter. While
           researchers are encouraged to have a public affairs official
           present during interviews, it is not required and the policy
           clearly defines the role of public affairs staff as one of
           logistical support and clarification, not interference. Finally,
           the policy states that NASA employees may communicate conclusions
           on the basis of their research to the media. However, NASA
           employees who present personal views outside of their official
           area of expertise or responsibility must make clear that they are
           presenting their individual views and not those of the agency.
			  
^8NASA, "NASA Policy on the Release of Information to News and Information
Media," 14 C.F.R. Part 1213.

           In addition to clarifying the policy for conducting media
           interviews, NASA's revised media policy also describes the process
           for dissemination via press releases or other media items, such as
           news features, media advisories, or news-related Web postings.
           Specifically, the policy, augmented by accompanying operating
           procedures, clearly outlines the coordination, review, and
           approval process that is required prior to issuing a press
           release. While some public affairs officials and managers told us
           that some of the reviews for press releases can require more time
           than available to meet the deadlines of the news cycle, they also
           felt that the revised policy had improved the approval process. In
           addition, the policy specifically delegates authority to NASA
           centers, independent of headquarters, to issue public information
           that is of local interest, among other things. Items eligible for
           issuance by the centers include releases on specific research
           topics that have a targeted audience, such as the development of a
           new "superplastic" that would be of interest to people who use
           polymers, or an announcement of an upcoming lecture series to be
           held at the center. Delegating authority to the centers to issue
           their own press releases allows NASA to better publicize the work
           it does to targeted audiences of interest. Finally, the revised
           media policy describes the process for researchers to use when
           they disagree with the agency's decision regarding whether to
           issue a press release or another type of public information. The
           policy allows such appeals to be elevated to the Office of the
           Administrator for resolution, if needed.
			  
			  NIST and NOAA Policies Provide Clear Guidance to Facilitate the
			  Dissemination of Research through Publications and Presentations

           NIST's publication and presentation policy, called the Technical
           Communications Program, generally facilitates the dissemination of
           scientific results. Similar to NASA's publications policy, NIST's
           policy clearly describes the extent and type of reviews for
           technical and scientific accuracy that are required before
           publications and presentations may be released outside the agency.
           For example, abstracts and outlines for talks that are not of a
           sensitive nature and will be limited in distribution can be
           approved by the researcher's division chief and do not need to go
           through a more extensive review. However, manuscripts for journals
           and books that are intended for public distribution must be
           reviewed and approved by the laboratory to which the researcher
           belongs as well as the NIST Editorial Review Board. This board,
           composed of NIST technical authors and editors from all
           organizational units, conducts a critical evaluation of the
           technical content and methodology, among other things. If the
           review board does not support publication, it generally recommends
           changes, which if made by the author, would result in approval. If
           the author chooses not to accept these changes, the policy
           delineates the steps that the author should take to resolve any
           disagreement. NIST managers said that the guidance and procedures
           for getting potential publications through the editorial review
           process and disseminated were adequate, clear, and readily
           accessible to researchers on the internal NIST Web site.

           Similar to NIST, NOAA's publication and presentation policy
           facilitates research dissemination and clearly describes the
           process for disseminating scientific and technical publications.
           Specifically, NOAA's policy encourages each program office to
           review, edit, and disseminate its own publications, and the policy
           clearly delegates responsibility to each program office to ensure
           the scientific and technical quality of its publications and
           presentations.^9 Furthermore, NOAA has developed a standard form
           to guide the review process and to document final approval for
           release. In addition, several NOAA program offices have
           supplemented these agencywide policies with office-specific ones.
           For example, the National Weather Service's policy clearly
           delineates the review and approval process for their
           publications.^10 Similarly, the National Environmental Satellite,
           Data, and Information Service created an office-specific form that
           documents the multiple reviews a proposed manuscript must undergo.
           This form, signed by the branch chief, division chief, and office
           director or deputy director, certifies that a research paper is
           worthy of scientific review or useful for education or outreach
           purposes. Several NOAA managers told us that NOAA's publication
           review process was clear and worked well.
			  
^9NOAA, "Scientific and Technical Publications," NAO 201-32G, January 27,
1993.

^10National Weather Service, "Clearances for NWS Employee Papers,"
National Weather Service Policy Directive 100-1, December 10, 2002 and
"Science Review and Approval," National Weather Service Policy Directive
80-5, April 8, 2004.

           Researchers at NIST and NOAA Have to Comply with Commerce and
			  Agency-Specific Policies for the Dissemination of Research through
			  Media Interviews and Press Releases

           Researchers at NIST and NOAA are subject to Commerce's
           department-level policies when disseminating research results
           through media interviews and press releases; however, these
           policies are outdated and unrealistic and can impede the
           dissemination of research results. At NIST, researchers have been
           provided with agency-specific guidance to supplement Commerce's
           department-level media interview and press release policies. At
           NOAA, researchers must also adhere to agency-level media and press
           release policies, which are generally unclear and can lead to
           inconsistent interpretations that can further hinder the
           dissemination of research through these dissemination routes.
			  
			    Researchers at NIST and NOAA Are Subject to Outdated Commerce
				 Policies for   Media Interviews and Press Releases

           Researchers at NIST and NOAA must follow Commerce's
           department-level policies for dissemination of research results
           through media interviews and press releases; however, these
           policies, which have not been revised for over 20 years, are
           outdated and unrealistic.^11 Commerce policies direct all of its
           constituent agencies to submit all proposed media interviews and
           press releases to its Office of Public Affairs for review and
           approval, and the department does not delegate authority to
           approve any of these activities to the agency-level public affairs
           office. Because Commerce's public affairs office is responsible
           for overseeing the media activities for 13 agencies, according to
           Commerce officials, it is not realistic to expect this office to
           review every media interview and press release request that each
           of these agencies generates. For example, from a large agency like
           NOAA, the volume of media requests can range from dozens on a
           normal business day to hundreds following a major event, such as a
           tsunami. In addition, Commerce's policy states that disputes
           concerning a potential media interview or press releases that are
           not resolved by the Director of Public Affairs shall be referred
           to the Secretary of Commerce.

           At a February 2007 Senate hearing, a Commerce official referred to
           the department's communication policies as "contradictory" and
           "woefully outdated." These policies, which have not been revised
           since 1983, were implemented prior to the expansion and widespread
           adoption of newer media outlets, such as the Internet and 24-hour
           cable news stations, and therefore do not take these routes of
           dissemination into consideration. While officials from Commerce's
           Office of Public Affairs said that they would like to be informed
           about all press releases and interviews, they realize that this
           request is not realistic given the volume of releases from some
           agencies. Consequently, Commerce public affairs officials
           acknowledged that even though it is required, they do not
           generally review low-level or routine releases.
			  
^11Department of Commerce, "Outside Writing and Speaking; Departmental
Approval," DAO 219-1, April 1, 1982; and "Release of News, Clearance of
Speeches and Publications, and Media Coverage," DAO 19-2, November 3,
1980.

           To streamline the approval process and respond to allegations by
           some researchers about the department's interference with media
           dissemination of research results, Commerce began an effort in
           November 2005 to revise its media and communications policies.
           According to a Commerce official, this effort included three
           rounds of input. During the first round, Commerce solicited
           informal feedback from managers and some scientists at selected
           agencies, including at NIST and NOAA. As part of the subsequent
           two rounds, Commerce solicited input from managers and public
           affairs officials at all Commerce agencies. In addition, these
           officials were encouraged to share the draft with researchers and
           other public affairs officials within their agency to obtain their
           feedback and input. We reviewed a draft of the revised policy in
           March 2007. Because the final policy was released after our audit
           work was completed, we did not conduct a detailed evaluation of
           the new policy. However, we did note that the revised policy
           included provisions to address some of the concerns we identified
           with the prior policy. For example, the revised policy affirms the
           department's support for open and free communication of scientific
           and technical ideas, findings, and conclusions based on
           researchers' official work and asserts that researchers are free
           to participate in interviews, without prior approval, on matters
           directly related to their research. In addition, the revised
           policy takes other positive steps, such as the inclusion of an
           appeals process and the clarification of the role of the public
           affairs office. However, it also contains some unclear elements
           that may cause confusion for the agencies and researchers who are
           trying to adhere to the policy. The policy was officially released
           on March 29, 2007, and, according to a Commerce official, it will
           be accompanied by a training program to educate public affairs
           officials on how to implement it.
			  
			    Researchers at NIST Have Been Provided with Supplemental Agency
				 Guidance

           To supplement Commerce policies for dissemination of research
           results through media interviews and press releases, NIST has
           issued Web-based guidance that provides an overview of the
           Commerce policy and serves as a reference tool for NIST
           researchers who interact with the media. The guidance on
           responding to media inquiries explicitly states that interview
           requests from the media are to be cleared in advance through
           Commerce's Office of Public Affairs. In addition, this guidance
           provides information on Commerce's media policy in a
           question-and-answer format, including instructions that
           researchers should discuss only the research facts and should not
           express personal opinions when communicating with the media.

           NIST managers commented that while NIST issues between 30 and 50
           press releases a year, they have found that other dissemination
           methods, such as e-mailing a biweekly publication called Tech
           Beat, have been a more effective way to reach the media. In fact,
           the managers estimated that 60 percent of the news articles about
           NIST research are generated from Tech Beat articles. Like press
           releases, Tech Beat articles go through the Commerce review and
           approval process, and they are subject to NIST technical and
           scientific review. NIST officials with whom we spoke said that
           while they forward most proposed interview requests to Commerce
           for review and approval, they generally do not seek approval for
           interviews that result from a press release or from a Tech Beat
           article previously approved by Commerce.
			  
			    Researchers at NOAA Are Subject to Unclear Agency-Level Media
				 Interview and   Press Release Dissemination Policies

           In addition to adhering to Commerce's policies for media
           interviews and press releases, researchers at NOAA must also
           follow NOAA-specific policies and procedures, which are at times
           unclear, leading to inconsistent interpretation. For example,
           regarding media interviews, one part of NOAA's policy directs its
           employees to inform NOAA headquarters or program office public
           affairs officials prior to participating in interviews that are of
           national news interest, concern regulatory or controversial
           issues, or pertain to research having potential policy interest;
           however, another part of this policy states that responsibility of
           the NOAA headquarters' public affairs office is to approve and
           coordinate media communications, including interviews and press
           releases.^12 As a result of this unclear language, public affairs
           officials have interpreted these requirements differently. Some
           believe that researchers are required to obtain prior approval for
           all interviews, while others believe researchers must notify the
           public affairs office after an interview has occurred. This has
           resulted in an uneven application of the policy among researchers.
           Furthermore, the policy does not define what qualifies as "of
           national news interest" or "controversial," thereby leaving the
           interpretation to each individual.
			  
^12NOAA, "NOAA Media Policy," NAO 219-6, June 22, 2004.

           In addition, some of NOAA's procedures required for media
           interview approvals can be burdensome and could delay
           dissemination of research. To seek approval for a media interview,
           NOAA program office public affairs staff are expected to complete
           a form that contains information about the topic, the potential
           questions, the media outlet, and the reporter, among other things.
           The completed form is forwarded to the headquarters' public
           affairs office for review and approval. However, while interview
           approvals typically occur within a few hours, in some cases they
           have arrived after the reporters' deadlines, resulting in missed
           interviews, according to NOAA public affairs officials.
           Furthermore, some of these officials expressed concern that
           reporters may shy away from contacting NOAA researchers because of
           the drawn out approval process, ultimately causing NOAA to miss
           opportunities to inform the public about its work.

           Regarding press releases, NOAA public affairs officials have also
           interpreted approval requirements differently from one another.
           For example, some officials believe that the policy requires all
           press releases to be approved by the NOAA headquarters' public
           affairs office, while others believe headquarters approval is not
           required for releases of regional interest or involving routine
           activities. NOAA's press release policy, unlike NASA's policy,
           does not distinguish between press releases on local topics and
           press releases on national topics and does not delegate authority
           to program office public affairs officials to issue such press
           releases. However, according to public affairs officials with whom
           we spoke, routine releases may not warrant the same scrutiny as
           ones likely to be of national interest or controversial. For
           example, a NOAA public affairs official commented that routine
           releases about StormReady--a community safety and emergency
           preparedness program--should be treated differently from press
           releases that have a broader scope, such as annual releases of
           climate data.

           According to NOAA public affairs officials, the approval process
           for press releases is lengthy and burdensome, and approvals that
           took 1 to 2 days a few years ago can now take as long as 2 weeks
           to obtain. This is because the process involves 13 separate steps
           for approval that begin after the press release has been drafted,
           which itself can be a lengthy process. (See fig. 1.) In November
           2006, another requirement was added to the approval process--that
           is, a public affairs briefing memorandum must precede certain
           requests to issue a press release, such as those involving a
           controversial or "hot" topic. According to a senior NOAA public
           affairs official, the intent of requiring the memorandum was to
           inform NOAA management about upcoming announcements and help
           ensure that the program office public affairs staff had gathered
           enough information about the proposed release to judge its merit.

Figure 1: NOAA/Commerce News Release Review Process, as of March 2006

Note: OPCIA is also referred to as the NOAA headquarters office of public
affairs.

The myriad steps in the approval process can hinder the timely issuance of
press releases. As was the case with delays in approving interviews,
officials told us press releases that come out too late are in danger of
not making it into the news and cited several instances in which requests
to issue press releases never received an approval or a denial from
headquarters public affairs and, consequently, were never released.
Moreover, no explanation for the lack of response was offered to the
public affairs office or the researcher. Furthermore, officials at a NOAA
laboratory have become discouraged from seeking press releases for
research conducted at the laboratory because of delays and the lack of
responsiveness to such requests, further limiting NOAA's ability to
publicize its research.

Despite Agencies' Efforts to Communicate Research Dissemination and Dispute
Resolution Policies, Many Researchers Are Not Confident about How to Comply with
Them

According to our survey, researchers at NASA, NIST, and NOAA usually
learned about their agency's dissemination policies through informal
communication methods, rather than through formal training provided by
their agency. In addition, more researchers at the three agencies are
confident that they understand their agency's policies on the
dissemination of research through publications and presentations well
enough to comply with them, than are confident that they understand their
agency's media interview and press release policies. Furthermore, many
researchers at NASA, NIST, and NOAA are unsure whether their agency's
policies allow them to discuss research results with potential policy
implications or to express personal views related to federal policy
decisions. Finally, we estimate that only one-quarter of all researchers
across the three agencies are aware of their agency's processes to appeal
decisions made regarding requested dissemination.

Most Researchers Learned about Agency Dissemination Policies through Informal
Methods

According to our survey and agency officials with whom we spoke,
researchers at NASA, NIST, and NOAA were most likely to learn about their
agency's dissemination policies through informal communication methods.
Most researchers at each agency learned about these policies through a
variety of informal means, such as e-mails from their agency or operating
unit managers, or through on-the-job training with supervisors.
Researchers were less likely to learn about agency dissemination policies
through formal training sessions, a method that agency officials told us
was typically offered on a limited basis focused toward specific groups,
such as those likely to have media contact. Specifically:

           o At NASA, we estimate that three-quarters of researchers learned
           of their agency's dissemination policies through e-mails or other
           correspondence from center or office managers, 70 percent through
           on-the-job training, and about one-half through notifications on
           internal agency Web sites. Managers and public affairs officials
           said that limited training on dissemination of research through
           publications, presentations, and media interviews is available. At
           most centers, managers said that training on the publication and
           presentation review process is done on the job by supervisors or
           managers, although some centers have conducted limited formal
           training on how to comply with export control regulations,^13
           which are a required segment of NASA's scientific and technical
           review process. Several NASA center public affairs officials said
           they have also conducted limited formal training on media
           interviews, but this training was usually targeted toward
           researchers who are expected to have significant exposure to
           reporters. Headquarters and several center officials told us that
           little or no formal training had been conducted on NASA's recently
           revised media policy.

^13Export Administration Regulations ("EAR") and International Traffic In
Arms Regulations ("ITAR") control the export of, among other things,
certain technology and technical data to foreign countries.
			  
           o At NIST, officials told us that they generally rely on the
           agency's internal Web site to inform employees about NIST's
           publication and presentation policies; however, they mentioned
           that more specific, individual training is offered on an as-needed
           basis. Media and communications training targeted toward
           researchers with high media exposure is offered periodically,
           covering the approval processes for media interviews and press
           releases. However, according to our survey estimates, nearly 80
           percent of researchers received information about their agency's
           policies through on the job training, and nearly two-thirds
           learned about them through e-mail communication from the agency.
           Additionally, about one-half of researchers at NIST learned of the
           dissemination policies through notifications on internal agency
           Web sites or at staff or town-hall meetings; and fewer (about 24
           percent) attended formal training sessions to learn about the
           policies.
           o At NOAA, researchers most often learned of the agency's
           dissemination policies through informal methods, such as e-mails
           or other correspondence from center or office managers (75
           percent), on-the-job training (59 percent), and notifications on
           internal agency Web sites (37 percent). These sentiments were
           echoed by NOAA managers who told us that they typically inform
           researchers about the agency's policies on dissemination of
           publications and presentations through on-the-job training, on an
           as-needed basis. They added that researchers are usually exposed
           to standard scientific peer review processes during graduate
           school, and that these processes are similar to the agency's
           review processes. Regarding media interviews, at least one public
           affairs branch office offered a formal training course that
           included an overview of NOAA requirements in this area and offered
           advice on effectively communicating with the media. According to
           program office officials, this training was well received by those
           who participated.

           Figure 2 shows the methods by which researchers at NASA, NIST, and
           NOAA generally learned about their agency's research dissemination
           policies.

           Figure 2: Estimated Percentage of Researchers Who Learned How to
           Comply with Dissemination Policies through Various Methods
			  
			  Researchers Have More Concerns about Adhering to Their Agency's
			  Media Interview and Press Release Policies than to Their Publication
			  and Presentation Policies

           Most researchers at NASA, NIST, and NOAA feel confident that they
           know how to comply with their agency's policies for publications
           and presentations, but many do not feel as confident that they
           know how to comply with their agency's policies on media
           interviews and press releases. (See fig. 3.) According to our
           survey, we estimate that more than 80 percent of researchers at
           each agency are confident that they understand their agency's
           policies on publications and presentations well enough to comply
           with them. At NIST, about three-quarters of researchers are also
           confident that they know how to follow their agency's policies on
           media interviews and press releases. In contrast, nearly one-half
           of researchers at NASA and over one-third of researchers at NOAA
           are not confident that they understand their agency's policies on
           media interviews well enough to follow them, and 40 percent of
           NASA researchers and 35 percent of NOAA researchers are not
           confident they understand their agency's policies on press
           releases.

           Figure 3: Estimated Percentage of Researchers Who Are Confident
           That They Understand Policies Well Enough to Follow Them
			  
           Researchers Are Often Unclear about Whether They Can Discuss
			  Research Results with Potential Policy Implications or Express
			  Their Personal Views

           Many researchers at NASA, NIST, and NOAA are unclear about whether
           their agency allows them to discuss research results with policy
           implications. This is particularly striking at NASA and NOAA,
           given that the leaders of these two agencies have each assured
           their researchers that they may discuss the policy implications of
           their research. When research results are consistent with their
           agency's policy or position statements, we estimate that
           two-thirds of researchers across NASA, NIST, and NOAA believe that
           they are allowed to discuss these potential policy implications.
           However, when research results differ from their agency's policy
           or positions statements, 23 percent of researchers across all
           three agencies believe they may not discuss those results, and 40
           percent are not sure. In addition, even though NASA's recently
           revised media policy clearly states that researchers are allowed
           to discuss conclusions drawn from their work with the media as
           long as they disclose them as personal views and not views of the
           agency, many researchers are unsure whether they are allowed to
           discuss personal views related to potential policy implications of
           their research results. On the basis of our survey, we estimate
           that only one-half of researchers at NASA believe that they may
           make such statements, and another 40 percent are not sure whether
           they can.

           Unlike NASA researchers, researchers at NIST are not allowed to
           discuss their personal views on the policy implications of their
           research, even if they disclose that the views are their own and
           not those of their agency. This is because NIST and Commerce
           policies state that when speaking publicly on topics related to
           research conducted at the agency, it is not realistic for a
           researcher to express personal views without the perception that
           the employee is speaking on behalf of the agency. Nevertheless, we
           estimate that 24 percent of researchers at NIST believe that they
           are free to discuss potential policy implications of their
           research provided they identify such views as their personal
           opinions and not those of the agency, and 49 percent of
           researchers at NIST are not sure whether they can discuss their
           personal views.

           NOAA researchers, like NIST researchers, are also subject to
           Commerce's policy that restricts their ability to discuss their
           personal views. However, in a February 2006 e-mail to NOAA
           employees, the NOAA Administrator said that communicating personal
           views was allowed provided that the researcher stated the views
           were the researcher's opinion. Despite the clarifying instruction
           from the administrator, we estimate that 42 percent of NOAA
           researchers are uncertain whether they may discuss personal views
           with the media, and another 40 percent believe they may do so if
           they offer a disclaimer.

           Researchers Are Generally Unaware of Their Agencies' Process for
			  Appealing Dissemination Decisions

           According to our survey, only 33 percent of NASA researchers, 26
           percent of NIST researchers, and 17 percent of NOAA researchers
           are aware of their agencies' processes to address disputes over
           dissemination requests. Even at NASA, where officials told us that
           the agency rolled out its revised media policy, which includes a
           dispute resolution process, with great fanfare, we estimate that
           only one-third of researchers are aware of the appeals process for
           dissemination of research. According to NASA headquarters and
           center public affairs officials with whom we spoke, no one, to
           date, has attempted to use the dispute resolution process for
           media-related concerns. For other types of dissemination, such as
           through publications, center managers generally told us that
           formal processes for appeal did not exist; however, most managers
           said that a researcher would likely raise concerns through the
           chain of command or rely on other agency processes, such as those
           for personnel disputes. Most NASA center managers told us that
           disputes over disseminating scientific and technical information
           are rare, and some managers said that they had never needed a
           formal process to resolve disputes.

           NIST managers told us that the NIST technical review policy
           delineates a process for appeals of dissemination decisions for
           publications and presentations. However, according to our survey,
           we estimate that only 26 percent of researchers at NIST are aware
           that such an appeals process existed. NIST officials said that no
           disputes over the dissemination of information via publications
           had occurred in the past 5 years. Regarding media contacts,
           Commerce officials said existing Commerce policies include a
           process to handle disputes. However, these officials acknowledged
           that the process may not have been clear to staff, and they plan
           to clarify this process in future policies.

           At NOAA, we estimate that 17 percent of researchers are aware of
           the agency's appeals process. NOAA managers told us that the
           agency's policies do not include an appeals process. The managers
           said that if a dispute arose, they expect the researcher to appeal
           the decision through the chain of command or use the agency's
           alternative dispute resolution process, which involves mediation
           of the dispute by a neutral third party, often from another NOAA
           program office.
			  
			  Six Percent of Researchers at NASA, NIST, and NOAA Had Dissemination
			  Requests Denied, and Many Believe That Their Agencies Are Less
			  Supportive of Media Interviews than Other Dissemination Methods

           On the basis of our survey, we estimate that across NASA, NIST,
           and NOAA, 6 percent of researchers were denied the opportunity to
           disseminate their research results in the past 5 years, sometimes,
           they believe, without explanation. In general, however, most
           researchers at these agencies believe that their agency either
           insists on or encourages dissemination of research results. At the
           same time, significantly more researchers at NASA, NIST, and NOAA
           believe that their agency supports dissemination through
           publications and presentations rather than interviews with the
           media. Finally, most researchers at NIST and NOAA believe that
           their agencies consistently applied the dissemination policies
           across all routes of dissemination. In contrast, many researchers
           at NASA believe that policies for press releases and media
           interviews are not applied as consistently as its policies for
           publications.
			  
			  Some Researchers at Each Agency Who Were Denied Approval to
			  Disseminate Their Results Believe They Were Not Provided with an
			  Adequate Explanation

           Six percent of the approximately 5,000 researchers, or about 200,
           across the three agencies have had their requests for
           dissemination denied for reasons other than those stemming from
           standard technical review. According to our survey, we estimate
           that 7 percent of NASA's 1,794 researchers, 4 percent of NIST's
           1,337 researchers, and 6 percent of NOAA's 1,815 researchers have
           in the past 5 years been denied the opportunity to disseminate
           their research.^14 The denials involved a wide range of research
           topics and occurred across all routes of dissemination, within
           each NOAA branch office, and within nearly all of the NASA centers
           and NIST laboratories included in our survey.^15
			  
^14The number of researchers listed for each agency represents those who
met our criterion of being federally employed scientists, engineers, or
other researchers who are in a position to disseminate their research
results to a wider audience. We estimate with 95 percent confidence that
the total estimated number of researchers across all three agencies who
were denied is 5.9 percent, or 214 researchers, with a confidence interval
of 4.5 percent (162 researchers) to 7.8 percent (282 researchers). At
NASA, the estimated number of researchers denied is 7.0 percent (102
researchers), with a confidence interval of 4.6 percent (68 researchers)
to 10.4 percent (151 researchers). At NIST, the estimated number of
researchers denied is 3.7 percent (37 researchers), with a confidence
interval of 2.3 percent (23 researchers) to 5.9 percent (58 researchers).
At NOAA, the estimated number of researchers denied is 6.4 percent (76
researchers), with a confidence interval of 3.8 percent (45 researchers)
to 10.7 percent (127 researchers). For additional details on our survey
methodology, see appendix I.

           Researchers at each agency were given a variety of reasons for the
           denials, but some indicated that they were given no reason. For
           NASA researchers, representing a variety of areas, including
           aeronautics; biological or life sciences; and climate,
           environment, or atmosphere research, among the most common reasons
           reported for denials was that the information was restricted or
           that the topic discussed or results presented were sensitive. The
           subject of some restricted research involved government classified
           information, or results that were covered by export control
           regulations. For example, one researcher reported his request for
           dissemination of research was denied because of restrictions on
           dissemination of high frequency communications technology. As a
           result of agency denials, most of these NASA researchers gave up
           trying to disseminate these particular results, although some
           subsequently disseminated the results of their work using a
           different dissemination route.

           Researchers at NIST who had their requests denied also represented
           a range of research areas, including information technology,
           electrical engineering, and physical or chemical sciences. Many of
           these researchers responded that they either were not given a
           reason for the denial or did not know the reason. In these
           situations, most researchers either found another route to
           disseminate these particular research results or gave up trying.
           Other researchers who had requests denied at NIST reported that
           the reasons given for the denial included that the results or
           topic was sensitive or that there was a question about the
           scientific merit of the results. In some of these cases, the
           researchers were able to disseminate their results once they added
           a disclaimer that the opinions expressed in the research results
           did not reflect the views of the agency.

           At NOAA, researchers who had requests denied represented a diverse
           cadre of research areas, including climate, environment, or
           atmosphere; oceans and coasts; and fisheries and ecosystems. Among
           the most common reasons that researchers reported for the denial
           of their requests to disseminate research were that the topic or
           results were sensitive and that resources, such as money for
           travel, were limited. For example, one researcher reported that
           his request was denied because there was concern that the results
           might be misinterpreted in light of recent hurricane events. In
           addition, like NIST researchers, many NOAA researchers reported
           that they were not given a reason for the denial or did not know
           the reason. Those who indicated they were denied for budgetary
           reasons had requested funding to travel to a conference, and
           reported that after the denial they disseminated their work
           through another route. Those who said their requests were denied
           because their results were considered sensitive took various steps
           to obtain subsequent approval to disseminate their results,
           including resubmitting the same or a similar document or seeking
           an alternative dissemination route. Of the researchers who either
           did not know the reason for denial or were not given one, most
           gave up trying to disseminate these particular results.
			  
^15While the number of denials can be generalized to the population, the
reasons provided for the denial, the actions taken as a result, and the
field of research cannot be generalized to the population. Where we
describe the reasons for the denials and actions taken as a result in this
section, the information only represents the sentiments of individual
respondents and not the population of the researchers across the three
agencies.
           
           Researchers Believe That Their Agencies Provide Greater Support
			  for Dissemination of Research through Publications and Presentations
			  than through Press Releases and Media Interviews

           While researchers at NASA, NIST, and NOAA believe that, overall,
           their agencies support dissemination of research results, many
           believe that their agency is more supportive of some dissemination
           routes than others. We estimate that at least 85 percent of
           researchers at each agency believe that, overall, their agency
           either encourages researchers to disseminate their research
           results or insists that they do so. However, we also found that
           researchers believe that their agency is more supportive of
           sharing results within the scientific community through
           publications, such as peer-reviewed journals, and presentations,
           than sharing results with the general public through media
           interviews or press releases. Specifically, we estimate that 91
           percent of researchers at NASA and NOAA and 97 percent of
           researchers at NIST believe that their agency supports
           dissemination of research results through publications. However,
           significantly fewer researchers at each agency believe their
           agency supports dissemination through press releases, ranging from
           73 percent of researchers at NOAA to 87 percent at NIST. (See fig.
           4.) Similarly, regarding dissemination through media interviews,
           significantly fewer researchers, ranging from 54 percent at NOAA
           to 68 percent at NIST, believe that their agency is supportive of
           this dissemination route.

           Figure 4: Estimated Percentage of Researchers Who Believe That
           Their Agency Supports Dissemination, by Dissemination Route

           Researchers echoed these sentiments in their comments on ways the
           dissemination of research results works well and how it could be
           improved. Many researchers responded that agency support for
           dissemination was good, particularly for scientific publications
           and presentations, but could be improved for press releases and
           media interviews. For example, one NIST researcher commented that
           the agency has a strong cultural belief in the technical integrity
           of peer-reviewed journals compared with general news media
           outlets. A NOAA researcher said that although his division
           supported and encouraged original, cutting-edge research and
           dissemination through scientific literature, he did not believe
           that NOAA or Commerce effectively disseminate research results to
           the public or the Congress. Moreover, a representative of a NOAA
           laboratory told us that although the laboratory issues over 100
           peer-reviewed articles every year, only a few are publicized
           through press releases. In addition, representatives of one NASA
           center believe that the role of public affairs has shifted from
           help to hindrance, and that some requests for press releases
           announcing contentious research results had not been approved by
           headquarters, sometimes without explanation. In addition, several
           agency managers told us that support for dissemination depends on
           the tone set by senior managers. More specifically, one manager
           said that without commitment and support from agency leaders, even
           good policies will not ensure that important research gets
           disseminated.
			  
			  Most Researchers Generally Believe That Dissemination Policies Are
			  Consistently Applied

           According to our survey, over 72 percent of researchers at NIST
           and NOAA believe that their agency consistently applies its
           dissemination policies across all dissemination routes. In
           contrast, more researchers at NASA believe that the agency
           consistently applies its policies for publications than believe
           the agency consistently applies its policies for press releases
           and media interviews. We estimate that only 67 percent and 57
           percent of researchers believe NASA consistently applies its press
           release and media interview dissemination policies, respectively,
           as opposed to 84 percent and 74 percent, respectively, of
           researchers who believe the agency consistently applies its policy
           for publications and presentations.^16 (See fig. 5.)

           In contrast, most researchers at NIST and NOAA believe their
           agencies consistently apply all of their dissemination policies.
           According to our survey, over 85 percent of the researchers within
           NIST and approximately 75 percent of the researchers at NOAA
           believe their agencies consistently apply their dissemination
           policies for publications, presentations, press releases, and
           media interviews.
			  
^16There was no statistical difference between presentations and press
releases.

           Figure 5: Estimated Percentage of Researchers Who Believe That
           Their Agency Consistently Applies Policies, by Dissemination Route
			  
			  OSTP Provides Indirect Oversight of Agencies' Dissemination
			  Policies

           According to OSTP, the office does not conduct any scientific
           research on its own nor does it formulate or directly oversee the
           development of dissemination policies or decisions at individual
           agencies. However, OSTP told us that it has affirmed to agency
           leaders the value of science as the basis for effective federal
           action and recognizes the importance of timely, complete, and
           accurate communication of scientific information. According to
           OSTP, the director of the office has on several occasions asked
           the leaders and chief scientists of federal agencies to develop,
           revise, or reemphasize their dissemination policies and to ensure
           that both employees and managers understand their rights and
           obligations under the policies. For example, in an April 2006
           letter that transmitted copies of NASA's policy to agency chief
           scientists, the director praised NASA's media policy as a model
           and cited the Frequently Asked Questions supplement as a best
           practice. In addition, according to OSTP, the director instructed
           agencies that federal scientists, like federal employees
           generally, are obliged to distinguish their personal views from
           the official positions of their agencies but are in no way to be
           restricted in their ability to openly communicate their scientific
           findings.

           With regard to disseminating the results of interagency research,
           OSTP sometimes plays a role in notifying agencies when research
           reports of interest are published by another agency, and it will
           disseminate research results to members of various National
           Science and Technology Council committees, subcommittees, and
           working groups, according to OSTP officials. For example, to
           ensure accuracy and readability, OSTP reviews interagency reports
           on the scale, quality, and effectiveness of the federal science
           and technology effort as well as all reports from interagency
           working groups and task forces. In addition, OSTP may, at its own
           initiative or in response to an agency's request, review
           presentations developed by individual agencies that are based on
           interagency reports. According to OSTP, the office is part of the
           interagency review process when federal scientists testify before
           Congress, and, accordingly, OSTP officials review all of the
           statements prepared by federal scientists who are testifying in
           their official capacities. Regarding presentations and articles
           prepared by OSTP employees, OSTP officials told us that the office
           has a process by which these presentations and articles are
           reviewed and for making decisions about whether its employees can
           participate in policy-related media interviews.

           In discussing OSTP's role with NASA, NIST, and NOAA public affairs
           officials, we found that some of these agencies may inform OSTP of
           certain dissemination events, but their policies do not call for
           routine OSTP review or approval. For example, Commerce and NOAA
           public affairs officials told us that OSTP often receives
           informational copies of press releases that are particularly
           sensitive or involve regulatory issues.
			  
			  Conclusions

           More and more of the major policy debates of the day hinge on the
           results of scientific research. Therefore, timely and thorough
           dissemination of research results within the research community
           and to the public at large is crucial. To help ensure that this
           kind of dissemination is taking place, NASA, NIST, and NOAA have
           each taken some steps to develop policies to guide the
           dissemination of research through publications and presentations
           for the scientific community. However, the lack of clarity and
           consistency in the application of agency-level policies for
           requests to disseminate research to the public through press
           releases and media interviews continues to generate significant
           concern among some agency researchers, such as those at NASA. For
           researchers at NIST and NOAA, this situation is further
           exacerbated because they must comply with Commerce's outdated and
           unrealistic department-level policies, which can further impede
           the dissemination of research results through media interviews and
           press releases. Moreover, when disputes arise about an agency's
           decision regarding a dissemination request, few researchers are
           aware of the dispute resolution processes that exist within their
           agency. To some extent, this situation may have been partly caused
           by a lack of formal training provided by the agencies on the
           dissemination and dispute resolution policies to their research
           staff. Instead most researchers at these agencies learn about
           their agency's policies through informal means and, therefore, are
           not particularly confident that they know how to comply with all
           of them.
			  
			  Recommendations for Executive Action

           To ensure that the policies to guide researchers and public
           affairs officials in their efforts to disseminate research to the
           scientific community and the public are clear, transparent,
           consistently applied, and completely understood, we recommend that
           the Secretary of Commerce and the NOAA Administrator each take the
           following action:

           o Clarify their policies for disseminating research results via
           press releases and media interviews.

           To ensure that (1) researchers have a clear process to follow for
           appealing decisions regarding dissemination of research results
           and (2) all researchers are aware of and understand how to comply
           with their agencies' policies for disseminating research, we
           recommend that the Secretary of Commerce, the NASA Administrator,
           the NIST Director, and the NOAA Administrator each take the
           following two actions:

           o Review their dissemination policies and ensure that they clearly
           identify a process by which researchers can appeal dissemination
           decisions.
           o Provide formal training to inform, reinforce, and update
           managers, researchers, and public affairs staff on these policies.
			  
			  Agency Comments and Our Evaluation

           We provided Commerce, NASA, NIST, NOAA, and OSTP with a copy of
           this report for review and comment. Commerce, on behalf of NIST,
           NOAA, and itself, generally concurred with our findings and
           recommendations. In its letter, Commerce noted that the draft
           report highlighted some ongoing challenges for the department,
           NIST, and NOAA that they will address. Furthermore, in an addendum
           from NOAA, the agency stated that it is updating its public
           communications policies to ensure consistent understanding by
           researchers and public affairs officials. In addition, NIST
           suggested some technical changes that we have incorporated in this
           report as appropriate. NASA also concurred with the
           recommendations we made to the agency. In its letter, NASA stated
           that it plans to direct the Chief of Strategic Communications and
           the Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs to, among other
           things, review its current dissemination policies to ensure they
           clearly identify a process for appealing dissemination decisions
           and to provide biannual training to reinforce dissemination
           guidelines. Finally, OSTP generally agreed with the report's
           recommendations made to Commerce, NASA, NIST, and NOAA. The office
           commented that the report is fair and accurately describes OSTP
           and its role in this area. The comment letters from Commerce,
           NASA, and OSTP appear in appendixes III through V.

           As agreed with your office, unless you publicly announce the
           contents of this report earlier, we plan no further distribution
           until 30 days from the report date. At that time, we will send
           copies to interested congressional committees and Members of
           Congress, the Secretary of Commerce, the NASA Administrator, the
           NIST Director, and the NOAA Administrator. We also will make
           copies available to others upon request. In addition, the report
           will be available at no charge on the GAO Web site at
           http://www.gao.gov.

           If you or your staff have questions about this report, please
           contact me at (202) 512-3841 or [email protected]. Contact points
           for our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may
           be found on the last page of this report. GAO staff who made key
           contributions to this report are listed in appendix VI.

           Sincerely yours,

           Ms. Anu Mittal
			  Director, Natural Resources and Environment
			  
			  Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

           Our objectives for this review were to (1) identify and evaluate
           the policies that guide the dissemination of federal research
           results at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
           (NASA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),
           and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA);
           (2) determine how effectively the dissemination and dispute
           resolution policies of these agencies have been communicated to
           researchers; (3) determine the extent to which researchers at
           these agencies have experienced restrictions on the dissemination
           of their research results, and (4) provide an overview of the role
           of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in helping
           agencies develop and implement policies related to the
           dissemination of research results.

           To identify and evaluate the policies that guide the dissemination
           of federally funded research results at NASA, NIST, and NOAA, we
           obtained, reviewed, and analyzed the dissemination policies for
           these agencies, in addition to relevant policies from the
           Department of Commerce. In addition, we spoke with managers and
           researchers at NASA, NIST, and NOAA as well as public affairs
           officials at each of these agencies and Commerce. Specifically, at
           NASA, we spoke with managers at each of nine research, space, and
           space flight centers, public affairs officials from NASA
           headquarters and the four largest centers in terms of researchers
           who would be in a position to disseminate research, and the
           agency's Chief of Staff.^1 At NIST, we spoke with agency
           officials, including the Chief of Staff, the program office
           director, and the director of the public and business affairs
           office. At NOAA, we spoke with managers in each of the NOAA
           program offices, as well as each of the laboratories in the
           Oceanic and Atmospheric Research program office and each of the
           National Marine Fisheries Service fisheries science centers.^2 We
           also spoke with public affairs officials in each of the NOAA
           program offices. We followed a standard set of questions for each
           of these interviews, confirmed that we had copies of the relevant
           dissemination policies, and discussed at length the ways in which
           these policies were put into practice.

^1The NASA centers included in this review were the Ames Research Center,
Dryden Flight Research Center, Glenn Research Center, Goddard Space Flight
Center, Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, Langley Research
Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, and Stennis Space Center. The Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, the 10th NASA center, was scoped out of this review
because research at this center is primarily performed by contract
researchers.

^2The NOAA program offices we spoke with and included in our scope were
the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research; the National Environmental
Satellite, Data, and Information Service; the National Marine Fisheries
Service; the National Ocean Service; and the National Weather Service. We
also spoke with managers in the NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation
Operations and the Office of Program Planning and Integration, but these
offices were removed from our scope because they did not have researchers
who would be in a position to disseminate research.

           To determine how effectively the dissemination and dispute
           resolution policies have been communicated to researchers and to
           determine the extent to which researchers at these agencies had
           experienced restrictions on the dissemination of their research,
           we conducted a Web-based survey of a stratified random sample of
           1,811 researchers across scientific and engineering disciplines at
           NASA, NIST, and NOAA. This sample included 578 NASA researchers,
           699 NIST researchers, and 534 NOAA researchers. We selected these
           researchers from among the 1,794 researchers at NASA, 1,337
           researchers at NIST, and 1,815 researchers at NOAA. Overall, we
           received a 66 percent response rate to our survey, for a total of
           1,177 respondents. We stratified by agency subcomponent--such as
           the NASA center, NIST laboratory, and NOAA program office--and
           produced estimates at the agency level. Each subcomponent has a
           known nonzero probability of being selected, and each subcomponent
           is weighted in the analysis to account statistically for all
           subcomponents in the population, including those that were not
           selected. We sought the researchers' views on their agency's
           research dissemination policies, the level of agency support for
           dissemination, and their experiences with dissemination. In
           addition, we asked the researchers to provide examples of ways in
           which dissemination of results works well and ways in which it
           could be improved. We defined researchers to be included in our
           population as federally employed scientists, engineers, or other
           researchers who are in a position to disseminate their research
           results to a wider audience. To identify these names, we asked
           center or program managers at NASA, NIST, and NOAA to provide a
           list of researchers in their organization who would meet our
           defined criterion. We cross-referenced this list with other
           published lists of researchers in each facility, where available.
           We further refined the list by sending out notification e-mails
           that allowed recipients who did not meet our criteria to notify us
           prior to issuing the survey.

           Information about accessing the survey was provided via e-mail for
           all survey participants. The survey was activated, and researchers
           were informed of its availability on November 16, 2006; it was
           available through December 31, 2006. To ensure security and data
           integrity, we provided all participants with a user name and a
           personal password that allowed them to access and complete the
           survey. No one else could access that survey or edit its data. To
           reduce survey nonresponse, we sent out e-mail reminder messages
           and a contractor was used to make follow-up telephone calls to all
           nonrespondants to encourage them to complete the survey. From the
           initial notification, we identified 21 individuals who were
           outside the target population. For example, some individuals had
           retired from the agency. In all, we received a 66 percent response
           rate. Response rates for our survey population by agency were as
           follows: NASA, 63.6 percent; NIST, 61.5 percent; and NOAA, 73.7
           percent.

           All sample surveys are subject to sampling error--that is, the
           extent to which the survey results differ from what would have
           been obtained if the whole population had been observed. Measures
           of sampling error are defined by two elements, the width of the
           confidence intervals around the estimate (sometimes called the
           precision of the estimate) and the confidence level at which the
           intervals are computed. Because we followed a probability
           procedure based on random selections, our sample is only one of a
           large number of samples that we might have drawn. Because each
           sample could have provided different estimates, we expressed our
           confidence in the precision of our particular sample's results as
           a 95 percent confidence interval. This is the interval that would
           contain the actual population value for 95 percent of the samples
           we could have drawn. As a result, we are 95 percent confident that
           each of the confidence intervals based on the survey includes the
           true values in the sample population. Unless otherwise noted, all
           percentage estimates have a 95 percent confidence interval within
           plus or minus 8 percentage points. The 95 percent confidence
           intervals for numeric estimates are presented along with those
           estimates in the body of the report. In addition, any comparison
           between point estimates is statistically significant at the 0.05
           level, unless otherwise noted. In some instances, we used general
           modifiers (i.e., few, some, many, and most) to characterize
           percentage point estimates or to indicate the number of center or
           office managers who made a particular statement. We used the
           following method to assign these modifiers to our statements:
           "few" represents less than 10 percent of respondents or managers
           representing centers or offices, "some" or "many" represents 10 to
           50 percent of respondents or managers representing centers or
           offices, and "most" represents over 50 percent of respondents or
           managers representing centers or offices. These ranges do not
           represent a standard; rather, we assigned these numeric ranges on
           the basis of natural breaks in our data. In all cases where we use
           these modifiers to characterize point estimates from our survey,
           their use implies statistical significance. For example, where we
           use the term "most," the lower bound of the confidence interval of
           the point estimate is greater than 50 percent.

           Regarding the survey data on instances in which researchers were
           denied the opportunity to disseminate, the percentage of
           researchers reporting such instances can be generalized to the
           population. However, because the number of denials is small, the
           details concerning the reason for denial, the researcher's primary
           field of research, and the actions taken in response to the denial
           cannot be generalized. Because the issue of a researcher being
           denied is a salient piece of our analysis, we included this
           nongeneralizable information to provide context to this important
           issue. To analyze select, open-ended questions on our survey,
           including those given as the reason researchers said they were
           denied, we conducted a content analysis to develop our agreement
           statistics. Reviewers (two per question) collaboratively developed
           content categories based on survey responses, and then
           independently assessed and coded each survey response into those
           categories. Intercoder reliability (agreement) statistics were
           electronically generated in the coding process, and agreement
           statistics for all categories were 90 percent or above. Coding
           disagreements were resolved through reviewer discussion or a
           third-party arbiter.

           In addition to the reported sampling errors, as previously
           indicated, the practical difficulties of conducting any survey may
           introduce errors, commonly referred to as "nonsampling errors."
           For example, differences in how a particular question is
           interpreted, the information sources available to respondents, or
           the types of sample members who do not respond can introduce
           unwanted variability into the survey results. Our estimation
           method assumes that nonrespondents are missing at random. If
           characteristics of respondents are different than nonrespondents
           on key items, it could introduce a bias not accounted for in our
           analysis. We took extensive steps in questionnaire development,
           data collection, and the editing and analysis of the survey data
           to minimize nonsampling errors. For example, the survey was
           developed by a GAO survey specialist in conjunction with subject
           matter experts, and then reviewed by a second, independent survey
           specialist. In addition, we pretested the survey by telephone with
           researchers from all three agencies. During these pretests, we
           asked each researcher to complete the survey as they would when
           they received it. We then interviewed the respondents to ensure
           that (1) the questions were clear and unambiguous, (2) the terms
           used were precise, (3) the survey did not place an undue burden on
           the researchers completing it, and (4) the survey was independent
           and unbiased. On the basis of the feedback from the pretests, we
           revised the questions, as appropriate. The SAS and SUDAAN programs
           that produced our survey estimates, including estimates of
           categories derived from content analysis, were reviewed by a
           second, independent programmer to ensure accuracy in the logic and
           syntax of the program.

           To determine OSTP's role in helping agencies develop and implement
           policies for the dissemination of research results, we submitted
           written questions. They subsequently replied to these questions in
           writing.

           We conducted our work from June 2006 through March 2007 in
           accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.
			  
			  Appendix II: Selected Survey Results for NASA, NIST, and NOAA

           The following tables contain summary results of selected questions
           from our survey of researchers at NASA, NIST, and NOAA. For each
           question reported below, the estimated percentage is presented
           along with its 95 percent confidence interval. These tables do not
           include summary-level data for the demographic questions and do
           not include the results from any open-ended questions.
			  


Q8. Overall, how familiar or unfamiliar are you with the policies that
your agency currently has in place regarding the dissemination of research
results outside of the agency?

                                         Estimated       95 PercentConfidence 
Agency      Question Choices         Percentage                   Interval 
             Very or Moderately                                               
Total               Familiar               87.2                  84.9-89.2 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
Total           All Familiar               12.8                  10.8-15.1 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NASA                Familiar               91.9                  88.4-94.3 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NASA            All Familiar                8.1                   5.7-11.6 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NIST                Familiar               85.4                  81.8-88.4 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NIST            All Familiar               14.6                  11.6-18.2 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NOAA                Familiar               83.6                  78.6-87.7 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NOAA            All Familiar               16.4                  12.3-21.4 

Q9. Has your agency used any of the following means to help you understand
how to comply with its policies regarding the dissemination of research
results outside of the agency?

a. Formal training sessions

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                 21.6                     19.3-24.1 
Total                No                 61.6                     58.6-64.5 
Total          Not sure                 16.8                     14.5-19.4 
NASA                Yes                 32.0                     27.3-37.2 
NASA                 No                 49.5                     44.2-54.8 
NASA           Not sure                 18.5                     14.6-23.2 
NIST                Yes                 23.6                     20.0-27.7 
NIST                 No                 54.8                     50.3-59.2 
NIST           Not sure                 21.6                     18.1-25.5 
NOAA                Yes                  9.4                      6.7-13.1 
NOAA                 No                 79.0                     73.5-83.6 
NOAA           Not sure                 11.6                      8.0-16.6 

Q9. Has your agency used any of the following means to help you understand
how to comply with its policies regarding the dissemination of research
results outside of the agency?

b. On-the-job training (including mentoring)

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                 67.9                     64.8-70.9 
Total                No                 24.3                     21.7-27.2 
Total          Not sure                  7.8                       6.2-9.7 
NASA                Yes                 69.2                     64.1-73.8 
NASA                 No                 21.8                     17.8-26.4 
NASA           Not sure                  9.0                      6.4-12.6 
NIST                Yes                 78.7                     74.8-82.1 
NIST                 No                 13.3                     10.6-16.6 
NIST           Not sure                  8.0                      5.8-10.9 
NOAA                Yes                 58.6                     52.3-64.6 
NOAA                 No                 35.2                     29.5-41.3 

NOAA           Not sure                  6.2                      3.8-10.2 

Q9. Has your agency used any of the following means to help you understand
how to comply with its policies regarding the dissemination of research
results outside of the agency?

c. Staff or town hall meetings

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                 40.7                     37.8-43.8 
Total                No                 43.3                     40.2-46.4 
Total          Not sure                 16.0                     13.7-18.5 
NASA                Yes                 48.2                     42.9-53.6 
NASA                 No                 34.4                     29.5-39.5 
NASA           Not sure                 17.4                     13.7-22.0 
NIST                Yes                 49.2                     44.7-53.7 
NIST                 No                 32.3                     28.2-36.6 
NIST           Not sure                 18.5                     15.4-22.1 
NOAA                Yes                 26.9                     22.0-32.4 
NOAA                 No                 60.6                     54.4-66.4 
NOAA           Not sure                 12.6                      8.8-17.6 

Q9. Has your agency used any of the following means to help you understand
how to comply with its policies regarding the dissemination of research
results outside of the agency?

d. E-mails or other correspondence from [AGENCY] Administrator-level
offices sent to all staff

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                 65.3                     62.2-68.3 
Total                No                 19.3                     16.9-21.9 
Total          Not sure                 15.4                     13.2-17.9 
NASA                Yes                 62.5                     57.3-67.4 
NASA                 No                 21.8                     17.7-26.4 
NASA           Not sure                 15.8                     12.2-20.2 
NIST                Yes                 66.0                     61.7-70.1 
NIST                 No                 17.9                     14.7-21.5 
NIST           Not sure                 16.1                     13.1-19.7 
NOAA                Yes                 67.7                     61.6-73.2 
NOAA                 No                 17.8                     13.6-23.1 
NOAA           Not sure                 14.5                     10.5-19.6 

Q9. Has your agency used any of the following means to help you understand
how to comply with its policies regarding the dissemination of research
results outside of the agency?

e. E-mails or other correspondence from Center or Office management sent
to all Center or Office staff

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                 70.9                     68.2-73.5 
Total                No                 14.7                     12.8-16.9 
Total          Not sure                 14.3                     12.4-16.6 
NASA                Yes                 78.5                     74.0-82.3 
NASA                 No                 11.6                      9.0-14.8 
NASA           Not sure                  9.9                      7.1-13.7 
NIST                Yes                 54.7                     50.2-59.1 
NIST                 No                 21.6                     18.2-25.5 
NIST           Not sure                 23.7                     20.1-27.7 
NOAA                Yes                 74.7                     69.3-79.5 
NOAA                 No                 13.0                      9.6-17.4 
NOAA           Not sure                 12.2                      8.9-16.6 

Q9. Has your agency used any of the following means to help you understand
how to comply with its policies regarding the dissemination of research
results outside of the agency?

f. Notifications on internal agency websites

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                 47.2                     44.0-50.4 
Total                No                 26.1                     23.3-29.0 
Total          Not sure                 26.8                     24.0-29.7 
NASA                Yes                 50.7                     45.3-56.0 
NASA                 No                 22.0                     18.1-26.5 
NASA           Not sure                 27.4                     22.8-32.4 
NIST                Yes                 55.8                     51.3-60.2 
NIST                 No                 20.6                     17.1-24.5 
NIST           Not sure                 23.7                     20.0-27.8 
NOAA                Yes                 37.2                     31.2-43.7 
NOAA                 No                 34.4                     28.6-40.7 
NOAA           Not sure                 28.4                     23.2-34.3 

Q9. Has your agency used any of the following means to help you understand
how to comply with its policies regarding the dissemination of research
results outside of the agency?

g. Other - Please specify below.

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                 18.2                     14.3-22.9 
Total                No                 44.8                     39.2-50.4 
Total          Not sure                 37.0                     31.6-42.7 
NASA                Yes                 22.1                     15.2-31.0 
NASA                 No                 40.6                     32.1-49.7 
NASA           Not sure                 37.3                     28.6-47.0 
NIST                Yes                 18.7                     13.3-25.6 
NIST                 No                 42.5                     35.1-50.2 
NIST           Not sure                 38.8                     31.7-46.5 
NOAA                Yes                 13.7                      7.8-22.9 
NOAA                 No                 51.1                     39.8-62.3 
NOAA           Not sure                 35.2                     25.1-46.8 

Q10. Overall, how effective or ineffective have your agency's efforts been
to help you understand how to comply with its policies regarding
dissemination of research results though each of the following routes?

a. Publications (such as peer reviewed publications or non-peer reviewed
publications)

                                         Estimated       95 PercentConfidence 
Agency      Question Choices         Percentage                   Interval 
                   Extremely to                                               
Total   Moderately Effective               91.9                  90.1-93.3 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
Total          All Effective                8.1                    6.7-9.9 
                   Extremely to                                               
NASA    Moderately Effective               90.6                  87.2-93.1 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NASA           All Effective                9.4                   6.9-12.8 
                   Extremely to                                               
NIST    Moderately Effective               93.7                  91.1-95.6 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NIST           All Effective                6.3                    4.4-8.9 
                   Extremely to                                               
NOAA    Moderately Effective               91.9                  88.5-94.4 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NOAA           All Effective                8.1                   5.6-11.5 

Q10. Overall, how effective or ineffective have your agency's efforts been
to help you understand how to comply with its policies regarding
dissemination of research results though each of the following routes?

b. Presentations (such as keynote addresses, conferences, workshops,
symposia, professional society meetings, or Congressional hearings)

                                         Estimated       95 PercentConfidence 
Agency      Question Choices         Percentage                   Interval 
                   Extremely to                                               
Total   Moderately Effective               86.4                  83.9-88.5 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
Total          All Effective               13.6                  11.5-16.1 
                   Extremely to                                               
NASA    Moderately Effective               88.0                  84.1-91.0 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NASA           All Effective               12.0                   9.0-15.9 
                   Extremely to                                               
NIST    Moderately Effective               88.6                  85.2-91.3 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NIST           All Effective               11.4                   8.7-14.8 
                   Extremely to                                               
NOAA    Moderately Effective               83.2                  78.0-87.4 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NOAA           All Effective               16.8                  12.6-22.0 

Q10. Overall, how effective or ineffective have your agency's efforts been
to help you understand how to comply with its policies regarding
dissemination of research results though each of the following routes?

c. Agency releases (such as press releases, web posting on an agency
website, or agency reports or fact sheets)

                                         Estimated       95 PercentConfidence 
Agency      Question Choices         Percentage                   Interval 
                   Extremely to                                               
Total   Moderately Effective               82.9                  80.1-85.4 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
Total          All Effective               17.1                  14.6-19.9 
                   Extremely to                                               
NASA    Moderately Effective               80.8                  75.4-85.2 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NASA           All Effective               19.2                  14.8-24.6 
                   Extremely to                                               
NIST    Moderately Effective               84.8                  80.8-88.1 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NIST           All Effective               15.2                  11.9-19.2 
                   Extremely to                                               
NOAA    Moderately Effective               83.5                  78.3-87.6 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NOAA           All Effective               16.5                  12.4-21.7 

Q10. Overall, how effective or ineffective have your agency's efforts been
to help you understand how to comply with its policies regarding
dissemination of research results though each of the following routes?

d. Media interviews

                                         Estimated       95 PercentConfidence 
Agency      Question Choices         Percentage                   Interval 
                   Extremely to                                               
Total   Moderately Effective               78.7                  75.4-81.7 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
Total          All Effective               21.3                  18.3-24.6 
                   Extremely to                                               
NASA    Moderately Effective               73.0                  66.8-78.4 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NASA           All Effective               27.0                  21.6-33.2 
                   Extremely to                                               
NIST    Moderately Effective               85.0                  80.8-88.5 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NIST           All Effective               15.0                  11.5-19.2 
                   Extremely to                                               
NOAA    Moderately Effective               79.0                  72.9-84.1 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NOAA           All Effective               21.0                  15.9-27.1 

Q10. Overall, how effective or ineffective have your agency's efforts been
to help you understand how to comply with its policies regarding
dissemination of research results though each of the following routes?

e. Other - Please specify below.

                                         Estimated       95 PercentConfidence 
Agency      Question Choices         Percentage                   Interval 
                   Extremely to                                               
Total   Moderately Effective               62.9                  43.9-78.6 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
Total          All Effective               37.1                  21.4-56.1 
                   Extremely to                                               
NASA    Moderately Effective               61.2                  31.3-84.5 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NASA           All Effective               38.8                  15.5-68.7 
                   Extremely to                                               
NIST    Moderately Effective               90.1                  61.5-98.1 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NIST           All Effective                9.9                   1.9-38.5 
                   Extremely to                                               
NOAA    Moderately Effective               38.1                  15.3-67.7 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NOAA           All Effective               61.9                  32.3-84.7 

Q11. Regardless of how effective or ineffective your agency's efforts have
been, how confident, if at all, are you that you understand your agency's
policies regarding the dissemination of research results through each of
the following routes well enough to follow them?

a. Publications

                                         Estimated       95 PercentConfidence 
Agency      Question Choices         Percentage                   Interval 
             Very or Moderately                                               
Total              confident               89.8                  87.7-91.5 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
Total          all confident               10.2                   8.5-12.3 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NASA               confident               90.3                  86.8-93.0 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NASA           all confident                9.7                   7.0-13.2 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NIST               confident               91.7                  88.8-93.9 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NIST           all confident                8.3                   6.1-11.2 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NOAA               confident               87.8                  83.4-91.1 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NOAA           all confident               12.2                   8.9-16.6 

Q11. Regardless of how effective or ineffective your agency's efforts have
been, how confident, if at all, are you that you understand your agency's
policies regarding the dissemination of research results through each of
the following routes well enough to follow them?

b. Presentations

                                         Estimated       95 PercentConfidence 
Agency      Question Choices         Percentage                   Interval 
             Very or Moderately                                               
Total              confident               85.8                  83.3-88.0 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
Total          all confident               14.2                  12.0-16.7 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NASA               confident               88.3                  84.4-91.4 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NASA           all confident               11.7                   8.6-15.6 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NIST               confident               88.3                  85.0-91.0 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NIST           all confident               11.7                   9.0-15.0 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NOAA               confident               81.4                  76.0-85.9 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NOAA           all confident               18.6                  14.1-24.0 

Q11. Regardless of how effective or ineffective your agency's efforts have
been, how confident, if at all, are you that you understand your agency's
policies regarding the dissemination of research results through each of
the following routes well enough to follow them?

c. Agency releases

                                         Estimated       95 PercentConfidence 
Agency      Question Choices         Percentage                   Interval 
             Very or Moderately                                               
Total              confident               66.2                  62.8-69.5 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
Total          all confident               33.8                  30.5-37.2 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NASA               confident               60.9                  54.9-66.6 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NASA           all confident               39.1                  33.4-45.1 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NIST               confident               75.1                  70.6-79.1 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NIST           all confident               24.9                  20.9-29.4 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NOAA               confident               64.8                  58.3-70.7 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NOAA           all confident               35.2                  29.3-41.7 

Q11. Regardless of how effective or ineffective your agency's efforts have
been, how confident, if at all, are you that you understand your agency's
policies regarding the dissemination of research results through each of
the following routes well enough to follow them?

d. Media interviews

                                         Estimated       95 PercentConfidence 
Agency      Question Choices         Percentage                   Interval 
             Very or Moderately                                               
Total              confident               63.1                  59.6-66.5 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
Total          all confident               36.9                  33.5-40.4 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NASA               confident               55.1                  49.0-61.0 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NASA           all confident               44.9                  39.0-51.0 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NIST               confident               74.7                  70.1-78.7 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NIST           all confident               25.3                  21.3-29.9 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NOAA               confident               62.4                  55.8-68.6 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NOAA           all confident               37.6                  31.4-44.2 

Q11. Regardless of how effective or ineffective your agency's efforts have
been, how confident, if at all, are you that you understand your agency's
policies regarding the dissemination of research results through each of
the following routes well enough to follow them?

e. Other - Please specify below.

                                         Estimated       95 PercentConfidence 
Agency      Question Choices         Percentage                   Interval 
             Very or Moderately                                               
Total              confident               54.5                  35.6-72.2 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
Total          all confident               45.5                  27.8-64.4 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NASA               confident               32.2                  10.3-66.3 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NASA           all confident               67.8                  33.7-89.7 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NIST               confident               63.3                  35.9-84.2 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NIST           all confident               36.7                  15.8-64.1 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NOAA               confident               67.6                  30.9-90.7 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NOAA           all confident               32.4                   9.3-69.1 

Q12. Overall, in your opinion, how consistently or inconsistently does
your NASA Center, NIST Laboratory, or NOAA Branch/Line Office apply its
policies regarding the dissemination of research results through each of
the following routes?

a.Publications

                                               Estimated 95 PercentConfidence 
Agency                    Question Choices Percentage             Interval 
Total          Very or Somewhat Consistent       90.5            88.2-92.3 
Total  Neither Consistent Nor Inconsistent        3.4              2.4-4.9 
Total        Very or Somewhat Inconsistent        6.1              4.6-8.0 
NASA           Very or Somewhat Consistent       91.4            88.1-93.8 
NASA   Neither Consistent Nor Inconsistent        3.2              1.8-5.4 
NASA         Very or Somewhat Inconsistent        5.4              3.5-8.3 
NIST           Very or Somewhat Consistent       95.7            93.2-97.3 
NIST   Neither Consistent Nor Inconsistent        1.4              0.7-2.8 
NIST         Very or Somewhat Inconsistent        2.9              1.6-5.3 
NOAA           Very or Somewhat Consistent       85.5            80.3-89.6 
NOAA   Neither Consistent Nor Inconsistent        5.2              3.0-9.0 
NOAA         Very or Somewhat Inconsistent        9.2             6.1-13.8 

Q12. Overall, in your opinion, how consistently or inconsistently does
your NASA Center, NIST Laboratory, or NOAA Branch/Line Office apply its
policies regarding the dissemination of research results through each of
the following routes?

b. Presentations

                                               Estimated 95 PercentConfidence 
Agency                 Question Choices    Percentage             Interval 
Total       Very or Somewhat Consistent          80.5            77.6-83.1 
                    Neither Consistent Nor                                    
Total                      Inconsistent          10.6             8.7-13.0 
Total     Very or Somewhat Inconsistent           8.9             7.1-11.1 
NASA        Very or Somewhat Consistent          80.3            75.6-84.3 
                    Neither Consistent Nor                                    
NASA                       Inconsistent           9.1             6.4-12.7 
NASA      Very or Somewhat Inconsistent          10.6             7.7-14.5 
NIST        Very or Somewhat Consistent          85.9            82.2-88.9 
                    Neither Consistent Nor                                    
NIST                       Inconsistent          10.2             7.6-13.4 
NIST      Very or Somewhat Inconsistent           4.0              2.4-6.4 
               Very or Somewhat Consistent 76.9 Question   70.8-82.0Estimated 
NOAA                             Agency       Choices           Percentage 
                    Neither Consistent Nor                                    
NOAA                       Inconsistent          12.8             8.9-18.0 
NOAA      Very or Somewhat Inconsistent          10.3             7.0-15.0 

Q12. Overall, in your opinion, how consistently or inconsistently does
your NASA Center, NIST Laboratory, or NOAA Branch/Line Office apply its
policies regarding the dissemination of research results through each of
the following routes?

c. Agency releases

                                                                           95 
                                                  Estimated PercentConfidence 
Agency                      Question Choices  Percentage          Interval 
                               Very or Somewhat                               
Total                             Consistent        80.9         77.4-83.9 
                         Neither Consistent Nor                               
Total                           Inconsistent        10.5          8.1-13.4 
                               Very or Somewhat                               
Total Not sure              Inconsistent 0.0         8.7          6.7-11.2 
                               Very or Somewhat        71.3                   
NASA Yes                     Consistent 15.4    5.1-38.1         64.4-77.4 
                         Neither Consistent Nor        15.9                   
NASA No                    Inconsistent 74.7   49.5-89.9         11.3-21.8 
                               Very or Somewhat        12.8                   
NASA Not sure               Inconsistent 9.9    1.9-38.2          8.6-18.5 
                               Very or Somewhat        94.5                   
NIST Yes                      Consistent 7.9    2.5-22.7         91.4-96.5 
                         Neither Consistent Nor         2.8                   
NIST No                    Inconsistent 92.1   77.3-97.5           1.5-5.0 
                               Very or Somewhat                               
NIST Not sure               Inconsistent 0.0         2.7           1.4-5.4 
                               Very or Somewhat                               
NOAA e. Resubmitted  Consistent [If Question                               
the same or similar   19 is Yes and Question             73.9-84.9Question 
document                          22 is Yes] 80.0 Agency           Choices 

NOAA 95                                                                    
PercentConfidence     Neither Consistent Nor                               
Interval                        Inconsistent  10.9 Total       7.1-16.4Yes 
                               Very or Somewhat                               
NOAA 6.2-35.4                   Inconsistent   9.1 Total        6.2-13.2No 

Q12. Overall, in your opinion, how consistently or inconsistently does
your NASA Center, NIST Laboratory, or NOAA Branch/Line Office apply its
policies regarding the dissemination of research results through each of
the following routes? 63.4-92.4

d. Media interviews

                                               Estimated 95 PercentConfidence 
Agency                   Question Choices  Percentage             Interval 
                            Very or Somewhat                                  
Total NASA                 Consistent Yes    74.9 3.7    71.0-78.40.7-16.9 
                          Neither Consistent                                  
Total NASA            Nor Inconsistent No   12.4 96.3    9.9-15.583.1-99.3 
                            Very or Somewhat                                  
Total NASA          Inconsistent Not sure    12.7 0.0            10.1-15.8 
                            Very or Somewhat                                  
NASA NIST                  Consistent Yes    62.3 7.7    54.9-69.11.6-29.9 
                          Neither Consistent                                  
NASA NIST             Nor Inconsistent No   16.0 82.4   11.5-21.956.6-94.4 
                            Very or Somewhat                                  
NASA NIST           Inconsistent Not sure    21.7 9.9    16.1-28.61.9-38.2 
                            Very or Somewhat                                  
NIST NOAA                  Consistent Yes   89.7 39.5   85.5-92.813.7-72.8 
                          Neither Consistent                                  
NIST NOAA             Nor Inconsistent No    6.6 60.5    4.3-10.127.2-86.3 
                            Very or Somewhat                                  
NIST NOAA           Inconsistent Not sure     3.7 0.0              2.0-6.8 
NOAA Q25. Did you                                                          
take any of the                                                            
following actions                            75.4 [If                      
when you did not                          Question 19                      
receive approval to      Very or Somewhat  is Yes and                      
disseminate your    Consistent f. Gave up Question 22                      
research results?                  trying     is Yes]      68.6-81.2Agency 
                          Neither Consistent                                  
                         Nor Inconsistent 95                                  
NOAA Estimated          PercentConfidence                                  
Percentage                       Interval        13.2        8.9-19.1Total 
                            Very or Somewhat                                  
                                Inconsistent                                  
NOAA 66.5                       51.5-78.7        11.4        7.6-16.7Total 

Q12. Overall, in your opinion, how consistently or inconsistently does
your NASA Center, NIST Laboratory, or NOAA Branch/Line Office apply its
policies regarding the dissemination of research results through each of
the following routes? 28.9

e. Other - Please specify below. 17.4-44.0

                                                         95 PercentConfidence 
Agency          Question Choices Estimated Percentage             Interval 
                   Very or Somewhat                                           
Total            Consistent NASA             56.0 Yes        36.9-73.470.2 
             Neither Consistent Nor                                           
Total          Inconsistent NASA              10.0 No         1.7-42.029.8 
                   Very or Somewhat                                           
Total          Inconsistent NASA        34.0 Not sure         19.9-51.70.0 
                   Very or Somewhat                                           
NASA             Consistent NIST             50.8 Yes        20.6-80.446.7 
             Neither Consistent Nor                                           
NASA           Inconsistent NIST              21.5 No         3.7-66.435.0 
                   Very or Somewhat                                           
NASA           Inconsistent NIST        27.7 Not sure         9.4-58.818.2 
                   Very or Somewhat                                           
NIST             Consistent NOAA             71.8 Yes        46.3-88.372.2 
             Neither Consistent Nor                                           
NIST           Inconsistent NOAA               0.0 No                 24.6 
                   Very or Somewhat                                           
NIST           Inconsistent NOAA        28.2 Not sure         11.7-53.73.3 
                   Very or Somewhat                                           
            Consistent Q25. Did you                                           
                    take any of the     44.6 g. Received                      
             following actions when   approval following         19.4-72.9[If 
                you did not receive       other types of   Question 19 is Yes 
            approval to disseminate   revisions - Please   and Question 22 is 
NOAA      your research results?       specify below.                 Yes] 
NOAA                                           0.0 95                      
Question  Neither Consistent Nor    PercentConfidence                      
Choices   Inconsistent Estimated           Interval95                      
Question    Percentage Estimated    PercentConfidence                      
Choices               Percentage             Interval                      
                   Very or Somewhat                                           
NOAA Yes        Inconsistent 7.0        55.4 3.0-15.9            27.1-80.6 

Q13. Overall, in your opinion, how consistently or inconsistently does
[AGENCY] as a whole apply its policies regarding the dissemination of
research results through each of the following routes? No

a. Publications 89.0

                                              Estimated  95 PercentConfidence 
Agency          Question Choices          Percentage              Interval 
Total           Very or Somewhat                                           
1.5-10.1              Consistent           85.6 NASA          82.8-88.0Yes 
Total         Neither Consistent                                           
2.6-26.8        Nor Inconsistent            5.1 NASA             3.7-6.9No 
Total           Very or Somewhat                                           
73.2-97.4           Inconsistent            9.4 NASA      7.4-11.8Not sure 
                   Very or Somewhat                                           
NASA                  Consistent           83.8 NIST          79.1-87.7Yes 
                 Neither Consistent                                           
NASA 1.6-29.9   Nor Inconsistent            4.3 NIST             2.5-7.1No 
NASA            Very or Somewhat                                           
56.6-94.4           Inconsistent           11.9 NIST      8.6-16.3Not sure 
                   Very or Somewhat                                           
NIST 1.9-38.2         Consistent           95.1 NOAA          92.4-96.9Yes 
                 Neither Consistent                                           
NIST 0.8-16.8   Nor Inconsistent            1.2 NOAA             0.5-2.6No 
NIST            Very or Somewhat                                           
75.4-96.3           Inconsistent            3.7 NOAA       2.1-6.3Not sure 
                                      78.9 Q25. Did you                       
                                        take any of the                       
                                      following actions                       
                                       when you did not                       
                                    receive approval to                       
                   Very or Somewhat    disseminate your   72.4-84.2h. Other - 
NOAA 2.0-17.8         Consistent   research results? Please specify below. 
                 Neither Consistent                                6.4-14.795 
                   Nor Inconsistent       9.8 Estimated     PercentConfidence 
NOAA Agency     Question Choices          Percentage              Interval 
                   Very or Somewhat                                           
NOAA Total      Inconsistent Yes           11.3 24.8      7.4-16.99.5-50.9 

Q13. Overall, in your opinion, how consistently or inconsistently does
[AGENCY] as a whole apply its policies regarding the dissemination of
research results through each of the following routes? Total

b. Presentations No

                                                         95 PercentConfidence 
Agency     Question Choices Estimated Percentage                  Interval 
              Very or Somewhat                                                
                    Consistent                                                
Total 22.4         7.2-51.7                 77.2             74.0-80.1NASA 
                       Neither                                                
                Consistent Nor                                                
                  Inconsistent                                                
Total 51.1         9.8-90.9                 11.7              9.6-14.3NASA 
              Very or Somewhat                                                
                  Inconsistent                                                
Total 48.9         9.1-90.2                 11.1              8.9-13.7NASA 
              Very or Somewhat                                                
NASA 0.0         Consistent                 73.5             68.0-78.4NIST 
                       Neither                                                
                Consistent Nor                                                
NASA 0.0       Inconsistent                 12.2              8.8-16.8NIST 
              Very or Somewhat                                                
                  Inconsistent                                                
NASA 69.7         22.7-94.8                 14.2             10.5-19.0NIST 
              Very or Somewhat                                                
                    Consistent                                                
NIST 30.3          5.2-77.3                 86.0             82.3-89.1NOAA 
                       Neither                                                
                Consistent Nor                                                
                  Inconsistent                                                
NIST 33.5         10.1-69.3                 10.2              7.6-13.6NOAA 
              Very or Somewhat                                                
                  Inconsistent                                                
NIST 40.6         13.4-75.2                  3.8               2.3-6.1NOAA 
                                                    67.3-79.8Q26. To the best 
                                                      of your knowledge, does 
                                                           your agency have a 
                                                      process or procedure in 
                                                    place to appeal decisions 
              Very or Somewhat                             made regarding the 
                    Consistent                      dissemination of research 
NOAA 25.9          5.3-68.7                 74.1                  results? 
                       Neither                                                
                Consistent Nor                                                
NOAA           Inconsistent              12.4 95                           
Question          Estimated    PercentConfidence                           
Choices          Percentage           Interval95                           
Question          Estimated    PercentConfidence                           
Choices          Percentage             Interval                  8.5-17.8 
NOAA Yes,                                                                  
familiar   Very or Somewhat                                                
with it    Inconsistent 7.4         13.5 5.9-9.1                  9.3-19.2 

Q13. Overall, in your opinion, how consistently or inconsistently does
[AGENCY] as a whole apply its policies regarding the dissemination of
research results through each of the following routes? Yes, but not
familiar with it

c. Agency releases 18.0

                                     Estimated                                
Agency          Question Choices Percentage  95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total           Very or Somewhat                                           
15.0-19.9             Consistent 76.7 Total              72.9-80.1Not sure 
Total         Neither Consistent                                           
54.2-60.4       Nor Inconsistent   8.9 NASA  6.8-11.6Yes, familiar with it 
Total           Very or Somewhat            11.6-17.7Yes, but not familiar 
5.6-11.5            Inconsistent  14.4 NASA                        with it 
NASA            Very or Somewhat                                           
20.9-30.0             Consistent  66.9 NASA                    59.7-73.3No 
NASA          Neither Consistent                                           
11.9-19.3       Nor Inconsistent  10.9 NASA               7.0-16.5Not sure 
NASA            Very or Somewhat                                           
46.3-56.7           Inconsistent  22.2 NIST 16.8-28.9Yes, familiar with it 
                   Very or Somewhat            90.1-95.7Yes, but not familiar 
NIST 7.3-12.6         Consistent  93.4 NIST                        with it 
NIST          Neither Consistent                                           
13.7-20.1       Nor Inconsistent   4.6 NIST                      2.7-7.6No 
NIST            Very or Somewhat                                           
13.5-20.0           Inconsistent   2.0 NIST                1.0-4.1Not sure 
NOAA            Very or Somewhat                                           
52.8-61.5             Consistent  72.7 NOAA 65.3-79.1Yes, familiar with it 
                 Neither Consistent             7.0-15.8Yes, but not familiar 
NOAA 3.0-8.3    Nor Inconsistent  10.6 NOAA                        with it 
                   Very or Somewhat                                           
NOAA 8.1-16.1       Inconsistent  16.6 NOAA                    11.6-23.4No 

Q13. Overall, in your opinion, how consistently or inconsistently does
[AGENCY] as a whole apply its policies regarding the dissemination of
research results through each of the following routes? 15.5-25.6

d. Media interviews

                                    Question   Estimated 95 PercentConfidence 
Agency                            Choices  Percentage             Interval 
Total Q27. In your                                                         
opinion, how effective or                                                  
ineffective is this                                                        
appeals process or                                                         
procedure in terms of its         Very or                                  
ability to resolve               Somewhat                                  
dissemination issues in a  Consistent [If                69.5-77.0Question 
fair and reasonable        Question 26 is 73.4 Agency     Choices Question 
manner?                              Yes]      Agency              Choices 
Total 95 PercentConfidence        Neither                                  
Interval95                 Consistent Nor                  6.3-10.5Very or 
PercentConfidence Interval   Inconsistent   8.1 Total   Somewhat Effective 
                                     Very or                 15.2-22.1Neither 
                                    Somewhat                    Effective Nor 
Total 78.8-92.9              Inconsistent  18.4 Total          Ineffective 
                                     Very or                                  
                                    Somewhat                 49.5-64.4Very or 
NASA 2.4-10.6                  Consistent  57.1 Total Somewhat Ineffective 
                                     Neither                                  
                              Consistent Nor                  8.0-18.1Very or 
NASA 3.3-16.1                Inconsistent   12.1 NASA   Somewhat Effective 
                                     Very or                 24.2-38.2Neither 
                                    Somewhat                    Effective Nor 
NASA 62.5-89.0               Inconsistent   30.8 NASA          Ineffective 
                                     Very or                                  
                                    Somewhat                 84.7-92.3Very or 
NIST 1.7-18.1                  Consistent   89.1 NASA Somewhat Ineffective 
                                     Neither                                  
                              Consistent Nor                  5.1-11.3Very or 
NIST 6.9-31.6                Inconsistent    7.6 NIST   Somewhat Effective 
                                     Very or                   1.7-6.5Neither 
                                    Somewhat                    Effective Nor 
NIST                         Inconsistent    3.3 NIST          Ineffective 
                                     Very or                                  
                                    Somewhat                 70.0-82.5Very or 
NOAA                           Consistent   76.8 NIST Somewhat Ineffective 
                                     Neither                                  
                              Consistent Nor                   3.0-7.3Very or 
NOAA                         Inconsistent    4.7 NOAA   Somewhat Effective 
                                     Very or                 13.2-25.1Neither 
                                    Somewhat                    Effective Nor 
NOAA 78.5-96.2               Inconsistent   18.5 NOAA          Ineffective 

Q13. Overall, in your opinion, how consistently or inconsistently does
[AGENCY] as a whole apply its policies regarding the dissemination of
research results through each of the following routes? 3.8-21.5

e. Other - Please specify below.

                                            Estimated    95 PercentConfidence 
Agency            Question Choices      Percentage                Interval 
                                                                38.4-79.1 
                                                       
                     Very or Somewhat                   
Total                   Consistent            60.6                 
                     Very or Somewhat                                         
Total                 Inconsistent            39.4               20.9-61.6 
                     Very or Somewhat                                         
NASA                    Consistent            26.4                4.2-74.6 
                     Very or Somewhat                                         
                         Inconsistent                                         
                                                               
NASA                                          73.6               25.4-95.8 
                                                                 73.8-98.4 
                                                           
                     Very or Somewhat                  
NIST                    Consistent            92.9                  
                                                                  .6-26.2 
                     Very or Somewhat                        
NIST                  Inconsistent             7.1          
                                                                 11.0-64.6
                     Very or Somewhat      32.2 
                      Consistent 
                     Very or Somewhat                                         
NOAA                  Inconsistent            67.8               35.4-89.0 

Q14. Overall, do you believe your agency's dissemination policies are
effective or ineffective in ensuring access to the results of research
conducted at your agency?

                                         Estimated       95 PercentConfidence 
Agency      Question Choices         Percentage                   Interval 
                   Extremely to                                               
Total   Moderately Effective               90.0                  87.7-91.8 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
Total          All Effective               10.0                   8.2-12.3 
                   Extremely to                                               
NASA    Moderately Effective               88.8                  85.1-91.6 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NASA           All Effective               11.2                   8.4-14.9 
                   Extremely to                                               
NIST    Moderately Effective               95.8                  93.4-97.4 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NIST           All Effective                4.2                    2.6-6.6 
                   Extremely to                                               
NOAA    Moderately Effective               87.0                  82.1-90.7 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NOAA           All Effective               13.0                   9.3-17.9 

Q15. How supportive, if at all, is your agency toward disseminating
research results through each of the following routes?

a. Through publications such as peer reviewed journals, or non-peer
reviewed journals

                                         Estimated       95 PercentConfidence 
Agency      Question Choices         Percentage                   Interval 
             Very or Moderately                                               
Total             Supportive               92.7                  90.7-94.2 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
Total         All Supportive                7.3                    5.8-9.3 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NASA              Supportive               91.2                  87.6-93.8 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NASA          All Supportive                8.8                   6.2-12.4 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NIST              Supportive               97.2                  95.3-98.3 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NIST          All Supportive                2.8                    1.7-4.7 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NOAA              Supportive               91.0                  87.0-93.9 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NOAA          All Supportive                9.0                   6.1-13.0 

Q15. How supportive, if at all, is your agency toward disseminating
research results through each of the following routes?

b. Through presentations, such as at conferences or at congressional
hearings

                                         Estimated       95 PercentConfidence 
Agency      Question Choices         Percentage                   Interval 
             Very or Moderately                                               
Total             Supportive               92.1                  90.0-93.8 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
Total         All Supportive                7.9                   6.2-10.0 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NASA              Supportive               91.6                  88.1-94.2 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NASA          All Supportive                8.4                   5.8-11.9 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NIST              Supportive               96.1                  94.0-97.5 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NIST          All Supportive                3.9                    2.5-6.0 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NOAA              Supportive               89.8                  85.1-93.0 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NOAA          All Supportive               10.2                   7.0-14.9 

Q15. How supportive, if at all, is your agency toward disseminating
research results through each of the following routes?

c. Through agency releases, such as press releases, web postings, and
agency reports and fact sheets

                                         Estimated       95 PercentConfidence 
Agency      Question Choices         Percentage                   Interval 
             Very or Moderately                                               
Total             Supportive               77.7                  74.3-80.7 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
Total         All Supportive               22.3                  19.3-25.7 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NASA              Supportive               75.5                  69.6-80.5 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NASA          All Supportive               24.5                  19.5-30.4 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NIST              Supportive               87.0                  83.1-90.1 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NIST          All Supportive               13.0                   9.9-16.9 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NOAA              Supportive               73.0                  66.4-78.7 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NOAA          All Supportive               27.0                  21.3-33.6 

Q15. How supportive, if at all, is your agency toward disseminating
research results through each of the following routes?

d. Through interviews with media

                                         Estimated       95 PercentConfidence 
Agency      Question Choices         Percentage                   Interval 
             Very or Moderately                                               
Total             Supportive               60.2                  56.0-64.3 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
Total         All Supportive               39.8                  35.7-44.0 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NASA              Supportive               61.8                  54.8-68.3 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NASA          All Supportive               38.2                  31.7-45.2 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NIST              Supportive               68.2                  62.4-73.5 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NIST          All Supportive               31.8                  26.5-37.6 
             Very or Moderately                                               
NOAA              Supportive               54.2                  46.6-61.6 
             Slightly or Not at                                               
NOAA          All Supportive               45.8                  38.4-53.4 

Q16. Overall, which one of the following statements best characterizes the
extent to which your agency supports the dissemination of research
results?

                                               Estimated 95 PercentConfidence 
Agency                    Question Choices Percentage             Interval 
                      Insists on / Encourages                                 
Total                        Dissemination       89.1            86.8-90.9 
Total   Neither Encourages nor Discourages        7.7              6.2-9.6 
                 Discourages / Does Not Allow                                 
Total                        Dissemination        1.6              0.9-2.8 
Total                             Not sure        1.7              1.0-2.7 
                      Insists on / Encourages                                 
NASA                         Dissemination       88.6            84.8-91.5 
NASA    Neither Encourages nor Discourages        9.5             6.7-13.1 
                 Discourages / Does Not Allow                                 
NASA                         Dissemination        1.3              0.7-2.6 
NASA                              Not sure        0.7              0.2-2.7 
                      Insists on / Encourages                                 
NIST                         Dissemination       95.8            93.7-97.3 
NIST    Neither Encourages nor Discourages        1.9              1.0-3.4 
                 Discourages / Does Not Allow                                 
NIST                         Dissemination        0.0                      
NIST                              Not sure        2.3              1.3-4.2 
                      Insists on / Encourages                                 
NOAA                         Dissemination       84.6            79.8-88.4 
NOAA    Neither Encourages nor Discourages       10.2             7.3-14.0 
                 Discourages / Does Not Allow                                 
NOAA                         Dissemination        3.0              1.3-6.6 
NOAA                              Not sure        2.2              1.0-5.0 

Q17. Does your area of research have the potential to impact federal
policy decisions?

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                 38.8                     36.0-41.6 
Total                No                 37.5                     34.8-40.3 
Total          Not sure                 23.7                     21.3-26.4 
NASA                Yes                 25.3                     21.0-30.1 
NASA                 No                 48.7                     43.6-53.9 
NASA           Not sure                 26.0                     21.6-31.0 
NIST                Yes                 22.5                     19.1-26.3 
NIST                 No                 44.1                     39.8-48.4 
NIST           Not sure                 33.5                     29.5-37.7 
NOAA                Yes                 64.9                     59.3-70.1 
NOAA                 No                 20.9                     16.8-25.7 
NOAA           Not sure                 14.2                     10.6-18.7 

Q18. When disseminating research results that have potential federal
policy implications, does each of the following statements correctly or
not correctly represent your agency's position on discussing these
research results?

a. I can discuss research results with potential policy implications when
the results are consistent with the agency's policy or position
statements.

[If Question 17 is Yes]

                                               Estimated 95 PercentConfidence 
Agency                    Question Choices Percentage             Interval 
Total          Statement Represents Policy       68.9            63.2-74.1 
Total  Statement Does NOT Represent Policy       12.3             8.9-16.9 
Total                             Not sure       18.8            14.5-23.9 
NASA           Statement Represents Policy       71.3            60.4-80.1 
NASA   Statement Does NOT Represent Policy       11.7             6.2-21.2 
NASA                              Not sure       17.0            10.1-27.2 
NIST           Statement Represents Policy       67.7            58.0-76.1 
NIST   Statement Does NOT Represent Policy        7.8             3.9-14.9 
NIST                              Not sure       24.5            17.0-34.0 
NOAA           Statement Represents Policy       68.3            60.1-75.4 
NOAA   Statement Does NOT Represent Policy       13.7             8.9-20.4 
NOAA                              Not sure       18.1            12.4-25.5 

Q18. When disseminating research results that have potential federal
policy implications, does each of the following statements correctly or
not correctly represent your agency's position on discussing these
research results?

b. I can discuss research results with potential policy implications when
the results differ from the agency's policy or position statements.

[If Question 17 is Yes]

                                               Estimated 95 PercentConfidence 
Agency                    Question Choices Percentage             Interval 
Total          Statement Represents Policy       37.4            31.9-43.1 
Total  Statement Does NOT Represent Policy       22.6            18.3-27.6 
Total                             Not sure       40.0            34.4-45.9 
NASA           Statement Represents Policy       35.0            25.8-45.5 
NASA   Statement Does NOT Represent Policy       29.5            20.8-40.1 
NASA                              Not sure       35.5            26.0-46.2 
NIST           Statement Represents Policy       32.1            23.7-41.7 
NIST   Statement Does NOT Represent Policy       22.9            15.8-32.0 
NIST                              Not sure       45.0            35.4-54.9 
NOAA           Statement Represents Policy       39.6            31.9-47.8 
NOAA   Statement Does NOT Represent Policy       19.8            14.4-26.7 
NOAA                              Not sure       40.6            32.8-48.9 

Q18. When disseminating research results that have potential federal
policy implications, does each of the following statements correctly or
not correctly represent your agency's position on discussing these
research results?

c. I can discuss research results with potential policy implications on
issues for which my agency does not have a policy or position statement.

[If Question 17 is Yes]

                                               Estimated 95 PercentConfidence 
Agency                    Question Choices Percentage             Interval 
Total          Statement Represents Policy       53.9            48.1-59.6 
Total  Statement Does NOT Represent Policy       10.5             7.5-14.5 
Total                             Not sure       35.6            30.2-41.4 
NASA           Statement Represents Policy       61.0            50.3-70.7 
NASA   Statement Does NOT Represent Policy       10.5             5.1-20.2 
NASA                              Not sure       28.5            20.0-39.0 
NIST           Statement Represents Policy       47.7            38.1-57.4 
NIST   Statement Does NOT Represent Policy       11.7             6.8-19.5 
NIST                              Not sure       40.6            31.3-50.6 
NOAA           Statement Represents Policy       52.7            44.4-60.7 
NOAA   Statement Does NOT Represent Policy       10.2             6.3-16.0 
NOAA                              Not sure       37.1            29.5-45.5 

Q18. When disseminating research results that have potential federal
policy implications, does each of the following statements correctly or
not correctly represent your agency's position on discussing these
research results?

d. I can discuss potential policy implications of research results
provided that I state the policy implications as my personal views and not
those of the agency.

[If Question 17 is Yes]

                            Estimated                                         
Agency Question Choices Percentage           95 PercentConfidence Interval 
                 Statement                                                    
                Represents                                                    
Total            Policy       40.3                               34.8-46.0 
            Statement Does                                                    
             NOT Represent                                                    
Total            Policy       17.3                               13.3-22.1 
Total          Not sure       42.4                               36.8-48.3 
                 Statement                                                    
                Represents                                                    
NASA             Policy       48.6                               38.4-59.0 
            Statement Does                                                    
             NOT Represent                                                    
NASA             Policy       11.6                                6.8-18.9 
NASA           Not sure       39.8                               30.0-50.5 
                 Statement                  
                Represents                  
NIST             Policy       24.3                                Research 
            Statement Does                                                    
             NOT Represent                                                    
NIST             Policy       26.9                               19.1-36.6 
NIST           Not sure       48.8                               39.1-58.6 
                 Statement                                                    
                Represents                                                    
NOAA             Policy       40.8                               33.2-49.0 
            Statement Does                                                    
             NOT Represent                                                    
NOAA             Policy       17.2                               11.7-24.5 
NOAA           Not sure       42.0                               34.1-50.3 

Q18. When disseminating research results that have potential federal
policy implications, does each of the following statements correctly or
not correctly represent your agency's position on discussing these
research results?

e. I am not allowed to discuss the potential policy implications of
research results.

[If Question 17 is Yes]

                                               Estimated 95 PercentConfidence 
Agency                    Question Choices Percentage             Interval 
Total          Statement Represents Policy       10.5             7.2-15.0 
Total  Statement Does NOT Represent Policy       50.2            44.4-56.1 
Total                             Not sure       39.3            33.6-45.3 
NASA           Statement Represents Policy        3.4              1.2-9.0 
NASA   Statement Does NOT Represent Policy       57.7            46.9-67.9 
NASA                              Not sure       38.9            29.0-49.8 
NIST           Statement Represents Policy       11.7             6.4-20.3 
NIST   Statement Does NOT Represent Policy       46.2            36.6-56.0 
NIST                              Not sure       42.2            32.8-52.2 
NOAA           Statement Represents Policy       13.1             8.2-20.3 
NOAA   Statement Does NOT Represent Policy       48.1            39.9-56.5 
NOAA                              Not sure       38.7            30.7-47.4 

Q19. In the past 5 years, have you sought to disseminate the results of
your own scientific research outside of the agency?

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                 86.1                     83.6-88.2 
Total                No                 13.9                     11.8-16.4 
NASA                Yes                 90.6                     87.1-93.2 
NASA                 No                  9.4                      6.8-12.9 
NIST                Yes                 88.1                     84.8-90.8 
NIST                 No                 11.9                      9.2-15.2 
NOAA                Yes                 80.0                     74.4-84.6 
NOAA                 No                 20.0                     15.4-25.6 

Q20. Which of the following reasons describe why in the past 5 years you
have not sought to disseminate the results of your scientific research
outside the agency?

a. I don't conduct research that requires dissemination

[If Question 19 is No]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total           Checked                 19.1                     12.9-27.4 
Total       Not checked                 80.9                     72.6-87.1 
NASA            Checked                 15.0                      5.9-33.3 
NASA        Not checked                 85.0                     66.7-94.1 
NIST            Checked                 15.8                      8.5-27.5 
NIST        Not checked                 84.2                     72.5-91.5 
NOAA            Checked                 22.5                     13.0-36.1 
NOAA        Not checked                 77.5                     63.9-87.0 

Q20. Which of the following reasons describe why in the past 5 years you
have not sought to disseminate the results of your scientific research
outside the agency

b. I don't conduct my own research

[If Question 19 is No]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total           Checked                 25.9                     18.7-34.7 
Total       Not checked                 74.1                     65.3-81.3 
NASA            Checked                 14.6                      7.6-26.3 
NASA        Not checked                 85.4                     73.7-92.4 
NIST            Checked                 18.8                     11.2-29.9 
NIST        Not checked                 81.2                     70.1-88.8 
NOAA            Checked                 34.5                     22.3-49.0 
NOAA        Not checked                 65.5                     51.0-77.7 

Q20. Which of the following reasons describe why in the past 5 years you
have not sought to disseminate the results of your scientific research
outside the agency?

c. Someone else disseminates research results on my behalf

[If Question 19 is No]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total           Checked                 18.4                     12.3-26.5 
Total       Not checked                 81.6                     73.5-87.7 
NASA            Checked                 32.5                     18.2-51.0 
NASA        Not checked                 67.5                     49.0-81.8 
NIST            Checked                 19.8                     11.1-32.7 
NIST        Not checked                 80.2                     67.3-88.9 
NOAA            Checked                 10.9                      4.7-23.0 
NOAA        Not checked                 89.1                     77.0-95.3 

Q20. Which of the following reasons describe why in the past 5 years you
have not sought to disseminate the results of your scientific research
outside the agency?

d. I sought to disseminate results in the past and was not allowed to

[If Question 19 is No]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total           Checked                  2.4                       0.8-7.2 
Total       Not checked                 97.6                     92.8-99.2 
NASA            Checked                  5.2                      0.8-26.2 
NASA        Not checked                 94.8                     73.8-99.2 
NIST            Checked                  2.4                      0.5-11.7 
NIST        Not checked                 97.6                     88.3-99.5 
NOAA            Checked                  1.0                       0.2-4.8 
NOAA        Not checked                 99.0                     95.2-99.8 

Q20. Which of the following reasons describe why in the past 5 years you
have not sought to disseminate the results of your scientific research
outside the agency?

e. My research is ongoing and is not ready to be released

[If Question 19 is No]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total           Checked                 24.2                     17.3-32.8 
Total       Not checked                 75.8                     67.2-82.7 
NASA            Checked                 24.8                     13.6-40.9 
NASA        Not checked                 75.2                     59.1-86.4 
NIST            Checked                 27.2                     16.9-40.6 
NIST        Not checked                 72.8                     59.4-83.1 
NOAA            Checked                 22.6                     12.6-37.1 
NOAA        Not checked                 77.4                     62.9-87.4 

Q20. Which of the following reasons describe why in the past 5 years you
have not sought to disseminate the results of your scientific research
outside the agency?

f. My research is not eligible for public dissemination

[If Question 19 is No]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total           Checked                  5.4                      2.5-11.2 
Total       Not checked                 94.6                     88.8-97.5 
NASA            Checked                 19.2                      8.7-37.3 
NASA        Not checked                 80.8                     62.7-91.3 
NIST            Checked                  0.0                               
NIST        Not checked                100.0                               
NOAA            Checked                  1.0                       0.2-4.8 
NOAA        Not checked                 99.0                     95.2-99.8 

Q20. Which of the following reasons describe why in the past 5 years you
have not sought to disseminate the results of your scientific research
outside the agency?

g. Agency policies did not allow me to disseminate

[If Question 19 is No]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total           Checked                  5.5                      2.2-13.1 
Total       Not checked                 94.5                     86.9-97.8 
NASA            Checked                  7.0                      1.7-24.6 
NASA        Not checked                 93.0                     75.4-98.3 
NIST            Checked                  1.6                       0.4-6.4 
NIST        Not checked                 98.4                     93.6-99.6 
NOAA            Checked                  6.5                      1.8-21.1 
NOAA        Not checked                 93.5                     78.9-98.2 

Q20. Which of the following reasons describe why in the past 5 years you
have not sought to disseminate the results of your scientific research
outside the agency?

h. Other Please specify below.

[If Question 19 is No]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total           Checked                 12.0                      7.7-18.1 
Total       Not checked                 88.0                     81.9-92.3 
NASA            Checked                 12.7                      5.8-25.6 
NASA        Not checked                 87.3                     74.4-94.2 
NIST            Checked                 19.5                     10.5-33.2 
NIST        Not checked                 80.5                     66.8-89.5 
NOAA            Checked                  8.4                      3.6-18.4 
NOAA        Not checked                 91.6                     81.6-96.4 

Q21. Over the past 5 years, through which methods did you seek to
disseminate your research results?

a. Publications (such as peer reviewed publications or non-peer reviewed
publications)

[If Question 19 is Yes]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                 97.0                     95.7-97.9 
Total                No                  3.0                       2.1-4.2 
Total          Not sure                  0.1                       0.0-0.3 
NASA                Yes                 96.8                     94.3-98.2 
NASA                 No                  3.2                       1.8-5.7 
NASA           Not sure                  0.0                               
NIST                Yes                 97.3                     95.5-98.4 
NIST                 No                  2.4                       1.4-4.2 
NIST           Not sure                  0.3                       0.1-1.2 
NOAA                Yes                 96.8                     94.1-98.3 
NOAA                 No                  3.2                       1.7-5.9 
NOAA           Not sure                  0.0                               

Q21. Over the past 5 years, through which methods did you seek to
disseminate your research results?

b. Presentations (such as keynote addresses, conferences, workshops,
symposia, professional society meetings, or Congressional hearings)

[If Question 19 is Yes]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                 96.8                     95.1-97.9 
Total                No                  3.2                       2.1-4.9 
NASA                Yes                 97.1                     95.1-98.3 
NASA                 No                  2.9                       1.7-4.9 
NIST                Yes                 98.5                     96.6-99.4 
NIST                 No                  1.5                       0.6-3.4 
NOAA                Yes                 95.0                     90.1-97.5 
NOAA                 No                  5.0                       2.5-9.9 

Q21. Over the past 5 years, through which methods did you seek to
disseminate your research results?

c. Agency releases (such as press releases, web posting on an agency
website, or agency reports or fact sheets)

[If Question 19 is Yes]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                 46.4                     43.1-49.8 
Total                No                 48.5                     45.1-52.0 
Total          Not sure                  5.0                       3.7-6.8 
NASA                Yes                 40.8                     35.6-46.1 
NASA                 No                 51.0                     45.5-56.5 
NASA           Not sure                  8.2                      5.5-12.1 
NIST                Yes                 54.7                     50.0-59.4 
NIST                 No                 40.7                     36.2-45.4 
NIST           Not sure                  4.6                       2.9-7.1 
NOAA                Yes                 46.2                     39.4-53.2 
NOAA                 No                 52.1                     45.2-58.9 
NOAA           Not sure                  1.7                       0.6-4.5 

Q21. Over the past 5 years, through which methods did you seek to
disseminate your research results?

d. Media interviews

[If Question 19 is Yes]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                 27.8                     24.9-30.8 
Total                No                 65.0                     61.8-68.1 
Total          Not sure                  7.2                       5.6-9.3 
NASA                Yes                 27.8                     23.5-32.5 
NASA                 No                 61.2                     55.9-66.3 
NASA           Not sure                 11.0                      7.9-15.3 
NIST                Yes                 25.5                     21.6-29.8 
NIST                 No                 68.2                     63.7-72.5 
NIST           Not sure                  6.3                       4.3-9.1 
NOAA                Yes                 29.6                     24.0-36.0 
NOAA                 No                 66.9                     60.3-72.9 
NOAA           Not sure                  3.5                       1.7-7.0 

Q21. Over the past 5 years, through which methods did you seek to
disseminate your research results?

e. Other - Please specify below.

[If Question 19 is Yes]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                 18.9                     13.9-25.2 
Total                No                 55.5                     48.1-62.7 
Total          Not sure                 25.6                     19.5-32.9 
NASA                Yes                 18.6                     10.8-30.2 
NASA                 No                 53.2                     41.1-64.9 
NASA           Not sure                 28.2                     18.4-40.6 
NIST                Yes                 18.1                     12.2-26.0 
NIST                 No                 61.0                     51.3-69.8 
NIST           Not sure                 20.9                     13.9-30.3 
NOAA                Yes                 20.3                     10.9-34.6 
NOAA                 No                 52.9                     37.3-68.0 
NOAA           Not sure                 26.8                     14.8-43.5 

Q22. Other than for standard technical review reasons, over the past 5
years, have you ever encountered a situation when your agency did not
allow you to disseminate your research results?

[If Question 19 is Yes]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                  5.9                       4.5-7.8 
Total                No                 94.1                     92.2-95.5 
NASA                Yes                  7.0                      4.6-10.4 
NASA                 No                 93.0                     89.6-95.4 
NIST                Yes                  3.7                       2.3-5.9 
NIST                 No                 96.3                     94.1-97.7 
NOAA                Yes                  6.4                      3.8-10.7 
NOAA                 No                 93.6                     89.3-96.2 

Q23. Through which method(s) were you seeking to disseminate your research
results when you were denied agency approval?

a. Publication (such as peer reviewed publications or non-peer reviewed
publications)

[If Question 19 is Yes and Question 22 is Yes]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total           Checked                 43.9                     30.4-58.3 
Total       Not checked                 56.1                     41.7-69.6 
NASA            Checked                 53.8                     33.3-73.0 
NASA        Not checked                 46.2                     27.0-66.7 
NIST            Checked                 36.8                     18.3-60.2 
NIST        Not checked                 63.2                     39.8-81.7 
NOAA            Checked                 34.1                     13.1-63.8 
NOAA        Not checked                 65.9                     36.2-86.9 

Q23. Through which method(s) were you seeking to disseminate your research
results when you were denied agency approval?

b. Presentations (such as keynote addresses, conferences, workshops,
symposia, professional society meetings, or Congressional hearings)

[If Question 19 is Yes and Question 22 is Yes]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total           Checked                 38.9                     26.0-53.5 
Total       Not checked                 61.1                     46.5-74.0 
NASA            Checked                 39.9                     22.5-60.2 
NASA        Not checked                 60.1                     39.8-77.5 
NIST            Checked                 29.9                     12.1-57.1 
NIST        Not checked                 70.1                     42.9-87.9 
NOAA            Checked                 41.8                     19.1-68.7 
NOAA        Not checked                 58.2                     31.3-80.9 

Q23. Through which method(s) were you seeking to disseminate your research
results when you were denied agency approval?

c. Agency releases (including press releases, web posting on an agency
website, or agency reports or fact sheets)

[If Question 19 is Yes and Question 22 is Yes]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total           Checked                 21.5                     13.1-33.2 
Total       Not checked                 78.5                     66.8-86.9 
NASA            Checked                 21.7                      9.3-42.7 
NASA        Not checked                 78.3                     57.3-90.7 
NIST            Checked                 31.1                     14.3-55.1 
NIST        Not checked                 68.9                     44.9-85.7 
NOAA            Checked                 16.6                      7.6-32.5 
NOAA        Not checked                 83.4                     67.5-92.4 

Q23. Through which method(s) were you seeking to disseminate your research
results when you were denied agency approval?

d. Media interviews

[If Question 19 is Yes and Question 22 is Yes]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total           Checked                 15.0                      7.9-26.5 
Total       Not checked                 85.0                     73.5-92.1 
NASA            Checked                 12.8                      3.5-37.1 
NASA        Not checked                 87.2                     62.9-96.5 
NIST            Checked                 24.0                      9.6-48.4 
NIST        Not checked                 76.0                     51.6-90.4 
NOAA            Checked                 13.5                      5.5-29.6 
NOAA        Not checked                 86.5                     70.4-94.5 

Q23. Through which method(s) were you seeking to disseminate your research
results when you were denied agency approval?

e. Other - Please specify below.

[If Question 19 is Yes and Question 22 is Yes]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total           Checked                  2.8                       1.2-6.4 
Total       Not checked                 97.2                     93.6-98.8 
NASA            Checked                  0.0                               
NASA        Not checked                100.0                               
NIST            Checked                  0.0                               
NIST        Not checked                100.0                               
NOAA            Checked                  7.8                      3.0-18.8 
NOAA        Not checked                 92.2                     81.2-97.0 

Q25. Did you take any of the following actions when you did not receive
approval to disseminate your research results?

a. Appealed the decision using established procedures

[If Question 19 is Yes and Question 22 is Yes]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                 29.7                     17.1-46.3 
Total                No                 67.0                     50.8-80.0 
Total          Not sure                  3.3                      1.0-10.2 
NASA                Yes                 20.9                      9.5-39.9 
NASA                 No                 79.1                     60.1-90.5 
NASA           Not sure                  0.0                               
NIST                Yes                  7.7                      1.6-29.9 
NIST                 No                 82.4                     56.6-94.4 
NIST           Not sure                  9.9                      1.9-38.2 
NOAA                Yes                 50.0                     24.8-75.3 
NOAA                 No                 45.8                     22.1-71.5 
NOAA           Not sure                  4.2                      0.8-19.5 

Q25. Did you take any of the following actions when you did not receive
approval to disseminate your research results?

b. Disseminated the results anyway

[If Question 19 is Yes and Question 22 is Yes]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                 15.7                      6.2-34.5 
Total                No                 79.9                     62.6-90.5 
Total          Not sure                  4.4                      1.7-10.8 
NASA                Yes                  4.1                      0.8-18.5 
NASA                 No                 95.9                     81.5-99.2 
NASA           Not sure                  0.0                               
NIST                Yes                  0.0                               
NIST                 No                 90.1                     61.8-98.1 
NIST           Not sure                  9.9                      1.9-38.2 
NOAA                Yes                 35.3                     13.2-66.2 
NOAA                 No                 58.2                     29.9-82.0 
NOAA           Not sure                  6.4                      2.0-18.6 

Q25. Did you take any of the following actions when you did not receive
approval to disseminate your research results?

c. Disseminated the results through a different route

[If Question 19 is Yes and Question 22 is Yes]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                 36.0                     22.6-51.9 
Total                No                 61.1                     45.5-74.7 
Total          Not sure                  2.9                       0.9-9.0 
NASA                Yes                 17.0                      7.0-35.7 
NASA                 No                 83.0                     64.3-93.0 
NASA           Not sure                  0.0                               
NIST                Yes                 43.5                     22.6-67.0 
NIST                 No                 47.4                     25.7-70.1 
NIST           Not sure                  9.1                      1.8-36.0 
NOAA                Yes                 53.9                     28.0-77.8 
NOAA                 No                 43.0                     20.1-69.3 
NOAA           Not sure                  3.2                      0.7-13.7 

Q25. Did you take any of the following actions when you did not receive
approval to disseminate your research results?

d. Added a disclaimer that the opinions expressed in the research results
do not reflect the views of the agency

[If Question 19 is Yes and Question 22 is Yes]

Agency Question Choices Estimated Percentage 95 PercentConfidence Interval 
Total               Yes                  8.1                      3.8-16.7 
Total                No                 90.0                     80.7-95.1 
Total          Not sure                  1.9                       0.4-9.4 
NASA                Yes                  5.3                      0.9-25.2 
NASA                 No                 94.7                     74.8-99.1 

95 PercentConfidence Interval

NASA

NIST

NIST

NIST

NOAA

NOAA

NOAA

Q25. Did you take any of the following actions when you did not receive
approval to disseminate your research results?

Estimated Percentage

16.0

82.1

Question Choices

Yes

No

1.8-11.5

47.7-85.9

14.1-52.3

25.2-69.6

16.1-60.2

5.9-44.3

42.3-90.2

7.8-55.8

0.7-14.2

Agency Agency

Total

Total

4.0

9.0

91.0

0.0

7.7

82.4

9.9

3.9

89.9

6.2

[If Question 19 is Yes and Question 22 is Yes]

Not sure

Yes

No

Not sure

Yes

No

Not sure

Yes

No

Not sure

Agency Agency

Total

Total

17.3

57.3

8.0

25.2

15.3

51.5

9.6

16.6

16.5

57.2

5.0

11.5

20.0


Estimated Percentage Estimated Percentage

87.5

5.1

7.4

78.6

5.8

15.6

100.0

0.0

0.0

90.6

9.4

Appendix III: Comments from the Department of Commerce

Appendix IV: Comments from the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration			  

Appendix V: Comments from the Office of Science and Technology Policy

Appendix VI: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments

GAO Contact

Ms. Anu Mittal, 202-512-3841 or [email protected]

Staff Acknowledgments

In addition to the contact person named above, Cheryl Williams
(Assistant Director), Allen Chan, Nancy Crothers, Elizabeth Erdmann,
Stuart Kaufman, Matthew LaTour, Grant Mallie, Lisa Mirel, and Rebecca
Shea made key contributions to this report.

(360724)

www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-653 .

To view the full product, including the scope
and methodology, click on the link above.

For more information, contact Ms. Anu Mittal at (202) 512-3841 or
[email protected].

Highlights of [41]GAO-07-653 , a report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, Committee on
Appropriations, U.S. Senate

May 2007

FEDERAL RESEARCH

Policies Guiding the Dissemination of Scientific Research from Selected
Agencies Should Be Clarified and Better Communicated

Researchers at federal agencies disseminate their research results through
a variety of approaches, including scientific publications, presentations,
press releases, and media interviews. Because of recent concerns about
some federal researchers possibly being restricted from disseminating
their research on controversial topics, GAO determined (1) the policies
that guide the dissemination of federal research at the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA); (2) how effectively these agencies have
communicated their policies to researchers; and (3) the extent to which
researchers have been restricted in disseminating their research. GAO
conducted a survey of 1,811 researchers randomly selected at the three
agencies, and had a 66 percent response rate.

[42]What GAO Recommends

GAO is making recommendations to the Department of Commerce, NASA, NIST,
and NOAA to clarify their dissemination polices for press releases and
media interviews, ensure researchers have a policy for appealing
dissemination decisions, and provide training on these policies.

In commenting on a draft of this report, Commerce, responding for NIST,
NOAA, and itself, generally concurred with GAO's findings and
recommendations, as did NASA.

Most of the NASA, NIST, and NOAA policies that guide the dissemination of
federally funded research generally facilitate the dissemination process,
but some do not. GAO found that overall NASA's policies, including its
recently revised media policy, are clear and should help facilitate
dissemination regardless of the dissemination approach used. At NIST and
NOAA, GAO found that the agencies' policies for dissemination through
publications and presentations were generally clear and should facilitate
dissemination; but their policies for disseminating research through media
interviews and press releases may hinder it. For example, because both
NIST and NOAA are part of Commerce, researchers at these agencies must
comply with department-level policies to disseminate their research
results through media interviews or press releases, but Commerce's
policies are outdated and can prevent researchers from meeting media
schedules. Moreover, requests by NOAA researchers to share their research
via media interviews and press releases may be further hampered because
these researchers must also comply with their own agency's media interview
and press release policies in addition to the Department of Commerce's.
NOAA officials told GAO that because its media interview and press release
policies lack clarity, they have been inconsistently interpreted by NOAA
public affairs officials.

According to GAO's survey, NASA, NIST, and NOAA have made efforts to
communicate their dissemination policies to their research staff, but many
researchers are not confident that they know how to comply with some of
the policies. The agencies have communicated their dissemination policies
through staff meetings, on agency Web sites, and in limited formal
training. While 90 percent of researchers are confident that they
understand the policies for publications, only about 65 percent are
confident they understand their agency's media interview and press release
policies well enough to comply with them. Similarly, almost half of the
researchers across the agencies are unsure whether their agency's policy
allows them to discuss their personal views on the policy implications of
their research. Finally, only 25 percent of researchers across the
agencies are aware of a process to follow to appeal denials of requests to
disseminate their research.

On the basis of responses to GAO's survey, 6 percent--or about 200
researchers--across NASA, NIST, and NOAA had dissemination requests denied
during the last 5 years. One of the most common reasons researchers
mentioned for these denials was that the topic of the research was
sensitive or restricted for security reasons; in some cases, no reason was
given. Most researchers at these agencies believe that their agency is
more supportive of dissemination of research through publications and
presentations, than dissemination through the media. Most NIST and NOAA
researchers believe that their agency consistently applies the
dissemination policies for each route of dissemination, while more
researchers at NASA believe the agency consistently applies its policies
for publications than believe the agency consistently applies its policies
for press releases and interviews.

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References

Visible links
  38. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-607
  39. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-340
  41. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-653
*** End of document. ***