Water Resources Discipline ITAC Activities

Katherine and Bob:

Excellent point. Fundamental Science Practices does not consider such mechanisms for release of information even by inference, except to say that anything with an employee's name attached is considered official dissemination of information. I have communicated to USGS Ethics staff that I think there should be strong and steady communication between the ethics office and the management processes for Fundamental Science Practices so that we can come at these issues from several directions. My concern was exactly as you expressed. Our policies, by not naming everything, leave us vulnerable in some areas. With the prevalence of blogs and no mandatory mechanism to be informed of them, perhaps this needs review.

Bob, this issue needs a champion in the ELT if we believe it important.

Ron

Ronald E. Kirby, Ph.D.
Science Quality Coordinator
U.S. Geological Survey
909 First Ave., 8th Floor
Seattle, WA 98104

Voice: 206-220-4640
Cell: 206-390-9732
Fax: 206-220-4624
ronald_kirby@usgs.gov

Ron,

Not to get involved in this process but a question was raised at WRD's latest Information Technology Advisory Committee meeting as to whether USGS had a specific policy on the use of on-line BLOGS by USGS employee representing themselves as USGS employees. I believe the policy most likely is broad enough to encompass this but I also recommend that at some point a memo should go out to emphasize that BLOGS should not be used to express one's personal opinion attributed to USGS. I am not aware of any abuse to date but was asked if there was a policy communicated.

Katherine
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Katherine Lins
Chief, Office of Water Information, WRD
U.S. Geological Survey
440 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
703-648-5014

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