Publishing@ERS

Procedures for Review, Clearance, and Release 

at USDA’s Economic Research Service

Economic

Research

Service

Administrative 

Publication

Number 060

July 2013

United States Department of Agriculture
Economic Research Service 

www.ers.usda.gov

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Recommended citation format for this publication:

Publishing@ERS, AP-060. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research 

Service, July 2013.
United States Department of Agriculture

Economic 

Research 

Service

Administrative 

Publication

Number 060

July 2013

Abstract

Publication in ERS reports, in scientific and academic journals, and in other data and 

information products is central to the ERS mission. The ERS publishing process ensures 

that products meet the objectives of high-quality and timely economic analysis, transparent explanation of methods, objective interpretation of results, and effective communication to the intended audience. This document outlines the peer review and clearance 

procedures used by ERS to satisfy the high standards expected from one of the Federal 

Government’s 14 principal statistical agencies.

Publishing@ERS

Procedures for Review, Clearance, and Release 

at USDA’s Economic Research Service
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Contents

Executive Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

 Federal Standards, Directives, and Regulations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

ERS Review, Clearance, and Release Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The Peer Review Process.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Role of the Peer Review Coordinating Council (PRCC). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Peer Review Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

BOX: ERS Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

BOX: Peer Review Process - Roles and Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Clearance/Release of Research Reports and Special Outlook Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

BOX: Outline of ERS Review and Clearance Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Review/Clearance/Release of Outlook Newsletters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Review/Clearance/Release of Amber Waves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Review/Clearance/Release of ERS Website Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Correcting Errors in Publicly Released ERS Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

 BOX: ERS Errata Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Clearance of Other Publications by ERS Authors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Appendix: Using Neutral and Objective Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
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Executive Summary

Introduction

Publication in ERS reports, in scientific and academic journals, and in other data and information products is central to the ERS mission. Consistent with ERS’s role as one of the Federal 

Government’s principal statistical agencies, information and analyses provided by ERS staff are 

expected to meet very high standards for quality, transparency, utility, and objectivity.

The research we publish in USDA-released products represents information from the Federal statistical system and is regulated as such. The peer review and clearance procedures outlined in this 

document have been adopted and continue to be modified to satisfy the high standards expected 

from one of the Federal Government’s 14 principal statistical agencies.

Federal Standards, Directives, and Regulations

As a principal statistical agency, ERS provides data and analyses that must satisfy standards established through Governmentwide and Departmental regulations and guidelines to preserve the 

public’s trust in the accuracy, objectivity, and integrity of information provided by the entire Federal 

statistical system. ERS’s data collection, research, and dissemination activities are guided by the 

National Research Council’s Principles and Practices for a Federal Statistical Agency and nearly all 

are subject to several directives and other standards issued by the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB). ERS reports are also subject to USDA’s peer review and clearance policy. The most recent 

USDA effort to strengthen the Federal information system is outlined in Departmental Regulation 

1074-001: Scientific Integrity.

ERS Review, Clearance, and Release Process

ERS provides information to the public through a variety of vehicles, including ERS research 

reports, special outlook reports, outlook newsletters, Amber Waves, and the ERS website. Our 

publishing process aims to ensure that our products meet the objectives of high-quality and timely 

economic analysis, transparent explanation of methods, objective interpretation of results, and effective communication to the intended audience. The appropriate extent and depth of review depends 

on the content and intended audience of the particular output.

To satisfy government-wide standards and to ensure the quality of its reports, ERS requires that all 

substantively new material—our research report series and our special outlook reports—be reviewed 

by qualified peers. These are experts who possess the background, perspective, and technical expertise to provide an objective and meaningful assessment of the output’s substantive content and clarity 

of communication. The responsibility for overseeing and coordinating the peer review process 

rests with ERS’s nine-member Peer Review Coordinating Council (PRCC), following a detailed 

set of established procedures. The PRCC’s functions include establishing clear criteria for publication of reports in each ERS report series in terms of quality of research, neutrality of language, and 

communication of findings. The PRCC also establishes Agency-level review processes after the peer 

review process is completed.

The PRCC is comprised of the Product Coordinator from each of the three program divisions and 

from the Information Services Division (ISD); the Outlook Coordinator; a temporary staff member 

from each program division; and an administrative staff person from ISD. Branch Chiefs also play 
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a key role in the peer review process, including approving submitting manu- scripts for peer review 

and submitting names of potential peer reviewers.

After appropriate peer review and revision have been completed, the manuscripts of research reports 

and special outlook reports are submitted for Agency clearance. Clearance focuses primarily on 

policy sensitivity, effective communication, and neutrality of language, and follows an established 

process. Some research reports require interagency clearance if the contents are closely related to 

the work of another agency or agencies—as specified by Departmental regulations. Also in accordance with Department regulations, all USDA publications receive Departmental clearance—

research reports by the Office of Communications (OC), and special outlook reports by the World 

Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB).

ERS also follows a specific process for agency review, clearance, and release of each of its other 

product types: outlook newsletters, Amber Waves magazine, and website content. The procedures 

focus on ensuring quality, accuracy, and timeliness. AW articles are generally based on peerreviewed research, but if new research is presented, the articles undergo a peer review process 

similar to ERS research reports.

ERS strives to ensure that interested USDA officials are kept apprised of ERS’s publishing intentions as products are prepared for release. This includes bi-monthly meetings with officials 

announcing publishing plans for research reports, special outlook reports, Amber Waves features, 

and major data products. It also includes providing embargoed copies of reports after clearance to 

relevant senior officials, and briefings on report findings, if desired.

In the event that a substantive error is detected in a disseminated information product (research 

report, market analysis and outlook report, data product, interactive map, or Amber Waves content), 

ERS will make a correction and report changes on an errata page on the website and in a prominent place in the online product. The errata process is aimed at assuring customers that the Agency 

makes every effort to provide timely and reliable information.
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Publishing@ERS

Procedures for Review, Clearance, and Release 

at USDA’s Economic Research Service

Introduction

Publication in Economic Research Service (ERS) reports, in scientific and academic journals, and 

in other data and information products is central to the ERS mission. Consistent with ERS’s role as 

one of the Federal Government’s principal statistical agencies, information and analyses provided by 

ERS staff are expected to meet high standards for quality, transparency, utility, and objectivity. ERS 

authors rely on experience and expertise to bring unique and important insights to food, agricultural, 

and rural economic issues, as well as access to a unique combination of data resources. While a 

key part of the ERS mission is to inform policymakers on issues of relevance, the agency’s products are free of opinion, bias, or recommendations. Staff involved in planning, writing, editing, and 

reviewing products for publication coordinate their efforts to produce timely information and data 

that are scientifically and technically accurate, strictly policy-neutral, and consistent with customers’ 

expectations of objectivity (see Appendix).

The research ERS employees publish in USDA-released products represents information from the 

Federal statistical system and is regulated as such. This guide outlines the Federal regulations that 

apply to ERS publishing, and the process for review, clearance, and release of information products 

by ERS authors. 
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Federal Standards, Directives, and Regulations

Overview

As a principal statistical agency, ERS provides data and analyses that must satisfy standards established through Governmentwide and Departmental regulations and guidelines to preserve the 

public’s trust in the accuracy, objectivity, and integrity of information provided by the entire Federal 

statistical system. ERS’s data collection, research, and dissemination activities are guided by the 

Principles and Practices for a Federal Statistical Agency1, developed by the National Research 

Council’s Committee on National Statistics, and are subject to directives and other standards issued 

by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in its role as coordinator of the Federal statistical system. In addition, the Information Quality Act requires all Federal agencies to maximize 

the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information provided to the public. OMB’s related 

Governmentwide guidelines on information quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity2 require that 

each agency:

• Maintain its commitment to using the best available science and statistical methods;

• Subject information, models, and analytic results to independent peer review by qualified experts, 

when appropriate;

• Disseminate its data and analytic products with a high degree of transparency about the data and 

methods to facilitate its reproducibility by qualified third parties; and

• Ensure that the information presentation is comprehensive, informative, and understandable.

Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review

As indicated above, peer review is critical to ensure that the quality of published information 

meets the standards of the scientific community. Furthermore, since ERS reports are intended to 

inform public and/or private decisionmaking, nearly all of our reports are subject to OMB’s Final 

Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review3 requirements for “influential” scientific information. 

This bulletin spells out the need for arms-length reviews by technical experts inside and outside 

Government, combined with transparent and publicly available peer review plans for each report 

and clearly understood procedures for correcting errors in previously released reports—all to build 

confidence in the agency’s commitment to information quality.

1Available at: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11252. 2These guidelines are available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/reproducible2.pdf. USDA’s adaptation of 

these guidelines, USDA Information Quality Activities: General Requirements, can be found at 

http:// www.ocio.usda.gov/qi_guide/index.html. 3http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/fy2005/m05-03.pdf; 2664 Federal Register Vol. 70, 

No. 10, January 14, 2005. See also, USDA Information Quality Activities: Scientific Research Guide- lines/Peer Review, 

at http://www.ocio.usda.gov/qi_guide/scientific_research.html.
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Statistical Policy Directive Number 4

Because ERS provides statistical information, we are also covered by OMB’s Statistical Policy 

Directive Number 44, which identifies the procedures intended to ensure that statistical products 

(defined broadly enough to encompass most ERS reports) released to the public adhere to data 

quality standards at every step in their production, from data collection through equitable, policyneutral, and timely release of information to the general public.

Departmental Regulation 1401-001: Publications Review/Clearance 

Policy

To help ensure that USDA publications are informative, understandable, and transparent, Departmental 

Regulation 1401-001: Publications Review/Clearance Policy5 dictates the post- peer review clearance 

process for USDA-issued reports. These regulations outline the inter- agency review and Departmental 

clearance process for all ERS reports and any other product authored by ERS staff that purports to 

interpret USDA policies or programs. While written to cover Office of Communications (OC) clearance of ERS research reports, these general requirements also apply to the agency’s outlook reports 

and newsletters cleared through the World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB).

Departmental Regulation 1074-001: Scientific Integrity

The most recent effort to strengthen the Federal information system is outlined in Departmental 

Regulation 1074-001: Scientific Integrity.

6 By encouraging Government scientists to embrace 

professional standards of excellence in their research, while also protecting that research from inappropriate influence by political appointees, the regulation aims to increase both the creation of, 

and reliance on, sound science in government. As such, it builds on previous regulations requiring 

Federal research to meet standards of quality (producing products that are objective, accurate, transparent, and clearly articulated) through established review and clearance procedures. The regulation 

also encourages open communication of scientific findings that meet these quality standards without 

fear of political interference.

4http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/omb/fedreg/2008/030708_directive-4.pdf; 12622

Federal Register Vol. 73, No. 46, March 7, 2008. Specific ERS releases may also be covered by Statistical Policy Directive Number 3, concerned with the release of principal economic indicators at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/

files/omb/assets/omb/inforeg/statpolicy/dir_3_fr_09251985.pdf; 38932 Federal Register Vol. 50, No. 186, September 25, 

1985

5http://www.ocio.usda.gov/directives/doc/DR1410-001.pdf. 6http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/DR%201074-001_0.pdf. Also embedded in USDA’s Scientific 

Integrity policy is the need to satisfy Departmental regulations on research misconduct (see, USDA Intramural Research 

Misconduct Policies and Guidelines, DR-2401-001, http://www.ocio.usda.gov/directives/doc/DR2401-001.pdf) and ethics (e.g., USDA Office of Ethics. Ethics Issues Related to USDA Scientists, Issuance No. 09-1, http://www.usda-ethics.

net/science/oe-09-1.pdf).
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ERS Review, Clearance, and Release Process

Overview

ERS provides information to the public through a variety of vehicles, including ERS research 

reports, special outlook reports, outlook newsletters, Amber Waves, and the ERS website. While 

the intended audiences for each of these products can vary (see page 6, “ERS Products”), the overriding objectives for all such outputs are high-quality and timely economic analysis, transparent 

explanation of methods, objective interpretation of results, and effective communication to the 

intended audience. Our publishing process aims to ensure that these goals are met.

The appropriate extent and depth of review depends on the output’s content and the intended audience. For example, the official release of new research results on a sensitive topic requires more 

careful review than nonsensitive material. Authors work with their Branch Chiefs and division 

offices to determine appropriate review.

The Agency’s five Product Coordinators play a key role in the publishing process. There is one 

research Product Coordinator from each of the economic divisions and from the Information 

Services Division (ISD), plus an outlook Product Coordinator from the Markets and Trade 

Economics Division (MTED). The Product Coordinators serve on the nine-member Peer Review 

Coordinating Council (PRCC), which coordinates peer reviews of all research reports. In addition to their responsibilities in the PRCC peer review process, each economic division’s Product 

Coordinator, in coordination with the ISD Product Coordinator, shepherds manuscripts through the 

post-PRCC clearance and publication process. They also are responsible for clearing other types 

of outputs, including presentations, journal articles, book chapters, etc. The Product Coordinators 

verify that these outputs contain appropriate material, are policy- neutral, and include disclaimers 

when necessary to distinguish Federal Government research from research done by Federal 

employees.

The Peer Review Process

To satisfy Governmentwide standards and to ensure the quality of its reports, ERS requires that all 

substantively new material—our research report series and our special outlook reports—be reviewed 

by qualified peers who possess the background, perspective, and technical expertise to provide an 

objective and meaningful assessment of the output’s substantive content and clarity of communication. Reports that involve the programs or policies of other Federal agencies must also be reviewed 

by the relevant program agencies for technical accuracy.

Role of the Peer Review Coordinating Council (PRCC)

The PRCC oversees the review and clearance process for each research report series (Economic 

Research Reports, Economic Information Bulletins, Technical Bulletins, and Economic Briefs) and 

Special Outlook Reports. These peer-reviewed reports are often the basis for web content and Amber 

Waves articles. Peer review is done before these reports move into Agency clearance, editing, and 

production. The PRCC also establishes Agency-level review processes with the goals of providing 

high-quality, timely reviews, maintaining a permanent record of each manuscript’s technical review 

and ensuring a transparent process for authors and managers to track the status of ERS manuscripts 

under review.

Council Structure. The PRCC is comprised of nine members. Product Coordinators (and the outlook 

Product Coordinator) from the three program divisions and ISD serve as permanent members. A staff 
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representative from each program division serves as a temporary member. Finally, an administrative 

staff person from ISD is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Council (maintaining the electronic tracking system, handling payments to reviewers, updating various forms, etc.)

Council Responsibilities. The PRCC, which meets weekly, is responsible for coordinating formal 

review and balancing timeliness with thoroughness of review. The PRCC receives draft manuscripts 

from Branch Chiefs, who have worked with authors to respond to in-house reviewers’ comments and 

have approved revised manuscripts at the branch level. Specific responsibilities of the PRCC include:

• Establishing clear criteria for publishing in each ERS report series in terms of quality of research, 

neutrality of language, and communication of findings;

• Coordinating technical (peer) reviews in consultation with the Branch Chief(s) and providing 

clear guidance to Branch Chief(s) on issues raised during the review process (Branch Chiefs 

retain their responsibility to work with authors to address comments);

• Providing ERS staff with information on the status of draft manuscripts during the review 

process; and

• Making recommendations to Division Directors for approval or disapproval of PRCC-reviewed 

manuscripts for consideration as Departmental publications prior to editing and clearance.

Peer Review Procedures

The following steps indicate how these responsibilities are implemented:

• The Branch Chief(s) emails a double-spaced Word document of the complete manuscript to the 

PRCC’s administrative staff person with copies to the relevant division Product Coordinator(s) 

and Division Director(s), stating that the manuscript is ready for review as an ERS publication. The names and contact information of recommended reviewers are included. The email 

format for this step is available through the in-house intranet, ConnectERS, at http://connecters/

content/2646.

• The administrative staff member prepares the manuscript for review (removes authors’ names, 

adds line numbers, etc.) and logs the information into the Editorial Express tracking software.

• The PRCC Chair assigns a Council member to assess the manuscript’s readiness for external review.

• If that Council member determines that the manuscript is not ready for review, and the PRCC 

agrees, the manuscript is returned to the Branch Chief within 10 working days. The assigned 

Council member also can propose a pre-edit to address issues not directly related to the quality of 

the underlying analysis.

• If the report is deemed ready for review, the PRCC selects reviewers. Usually, the manuscripts 

are sent to two external reviewers who are familiar with the subject matter, to one internal 

reviewer, and to technical reviewers from any relevant agencies. The request for review includes 

a general purpose statement for the series (i.e., Economic Briefs) and provides reviewers with 

general directions for providing feedback. The Council generally requests that review comments 

be returned within 4 weeks for research reports and 2 weeks for special outlook reports. The 

Council member sends the manuscript to reviewers and follows up with reminders, if necessary. 
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ERS Products

ERS Website—www.ers.usda.gov. The ERS website functions as the primary source of ERS 

information and research on food, farming, natural resources, and rural America for a broad audience of public and private decisionmakers and their staffs, as well as researchers, the media, and 

the public. The website serves as a gateway to all publicly available ERS products. Topic pages 

provide information on a large number of issues. Data products offer detailed data in downloadable formats. 

Amber Waves—Published electronically in a popular magazine format, Amber Waves provides 

nontechnical coverage of ERS research on the economics of food, farming, natural resources, and 

rural America targeted toward a primary audience of public and private decisionmakers and their 

staffs, as well as a general audience. Content is drawn primarily from existing ERS publications 

or website materials.

Economic Briefs (EB)—Present timely findings and their implications for a primary audience of 

public and private decisionmakers and their staffs. These short and nontechnical reports list findings and implications of currently relevant economic information or research by ERS that often 

draw upon more technical published research, including ERS reports and other peer-reviewed 

publications by ERS authors. As such, they may describe all or a portion of the results from a 

single publication or from multiple publications.

Economic Information Bulletins (EIB)—Present new economic information in a concise 

format to public and private decisionmakers and their staffs, as well as other nontechnical audiences. This type of publication provides economic information of a more specialized or indepth 

nature (or for a more specific audience or purpose) than that included in Amber Waves or on the 

ERS website, and with less analysis or interpretation than the economic research report series 

(ERRs). The EIBs are nontechnical and are flexible in format, usually including numerous charts 

and maps.

Economic Research Reports (ERR)—Present original economic analysis, findings, and implications primar- ily for public and private decisionmakers and their staffs and for researchers. This 

type of report is distinguished from an EIB by its original analytical content and its emphasis on 

new findings and implications. An ERR might include some technical details in the main body of 

the report, with additional technical detail presented in an appendix.

Technical Bulletins (TB)—Used to document models employed in economic policy analysis or 

econometric estimates and data generated by technical models. The information in these publications is used primarily by other economists and researchers.

Special Outlook Reports—Present new economic information and/or analysis related to the 

forces shaping commodity markets, financial and agricultural input markets, and trade for public 

and private decisionmakers and their staffs. These reports are differentiated from EIBs and 

outlook newsletters by their indepth analytical focus on specific domestic or international market 

developments that affect the medium or longer term market outlook. Special outlook reports are 

cleared by the WAOB.

Outlook Newsletters—Complement the release of USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and 

Demand Estimates (WASDE) by providing more detailed analysis and data on the short-term 

outlook for specific U.S. and global commodity markets. Outlook newsletters are reviewed and 

cleared by the WAOB.
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This process provides for a double-blind review: reviewers receive a draft report without the 

authors’ names and a reviewer may choose to remain anonymous.

• The assigned Council member may request a technical review of the manuscript from relevant 

agencies (distinct from the formal interagency policy review process, which may be requested 

later in the clearance process).

• Once reviews are received, the assigned Council member briefs the full PRCC on the tenor of the 

review. At this point, the PRCC decides, based on the review, whether to return the manuscript 

for revision, or reject the manuscript.

• If the manuscript is returned for revision, the assigned Council member returns review 

comments to the authors and the Branch Chief with guidance for revision.

• If the manuscript is rejected, the assigned Council member meets with the Branch Chief to 

convey why the manuscript is not suitable for publication and the review process ends.

• The author(s) work (with their Branch Chief’s guidance) to address the reviewers’ comments and 

document their responses. When ready, the author(s) and Branch Chief meet with the assigned 

Peer Review Process: Roles and Responsibilites

Peer Review Coordinating Council: The PRCC oversees the peer review process, including 

providing guid- ance to the Branch Chief at this stage. The roles and duties of PRCC members 

are detailed below.

Author: The author(s) of a research report—or special outlook report—delivers a manuscript to 

the respective Branch Chief that is professional both in content and style. An author will work 

with his or her Branch Chief to coordinate in-house review prior to submission to the PRCC. 

Authors are expected to consider reviewer com- ments seriously and to respond in a professional 

and timely manner (either accepting the reviewer suggestions or explaining why they were not 

accepted).

Branch Chief: The Branch Chief reviews the submitted report and works with the authors to 

revise the report according to his/her review and the reviews provided by the in-house review 

process. Once the Branch Chief is satisfied with the status of the report, he/she will submit the 

manuscript to the PRCC (see below for more specific instructions) along with a list of potential 

peer reviewers. The list of suggested reviewers should include at least three professionals from 

outside institutions, at least two ERS reviewers, as well as reviewers from relevant USDA agencies. The Branch Chief also will review report revisions prior to resubmission to the PRCC.

PRCC Editor: The assigned PRCC editor manages the peer review process, communicates 

review comments to the author and Branch Chief, and makes recommendations to the PRCC 

regarding the publication or rejec- tion of reports.

Division Director: After a report has been cleared by the PRCC, the Division Director (or 

designee) receives a copy of the report from the Branch Chief, along with the clearance form 

(ERS-31). Once the Division Direc- tor is satisfied with the status and content of the report, he/

she signs the ERS-31 form, approving the report for editing.
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Council member to discuss the comments and revisions. The author(s) prepare a statement of 

response to each of the reviewers’ comments.

• Revisions may be sent out for further review at the assigned Council member’s discretion.

• When all agree that the revisions are satisfactory, the assigned Council member takes the manuscript to the PRCC for approval. (If the assigned Council member is not the relevant division’s 

Product Coordinator, the Product Coordinator also reads the manuscript at this stage, prior to 

Council approval, to identify any clearance concerns.)

• To satisfy OMB reproducibility requirements, once the PRCC approves a manuscript, copies of 

the computer program(s) used to complete the analyses, along with any nonconfidential data, are 

submitted to the division’s Product Coordinator. These materials are stored in a restricted-access 

drive on the LAN should someone ever need to reproduce the report’s results.

• After PRCC approval, the clearance package is signed by the Branch Chief(s) and sent to the relevant Division Director(s). Once approved by the Division Director (or designee), the manuscript 

is then sent to ISD for editing and follows the existing process (outlined below) for final clearance by the Division Director, ERS Administrator, and USDA’s Office of Communications (OC)/

World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB).

Clearance/Release of Research Reports and 

Special Outlook Reports

Clearance. There are several clearance steps that research reports (ERRs, EIBs, TBs, and EBs) and 

Special Outlook Reports must complete after the peer review before they are approved for public 

release.

Agency clearance. Manuscripts are submitted for Agency clearance after appropriate peer 

review and revision have been completed. Clearance focuses primarily on policy sensitivity, effectiveness of communication, and neutrality of language. All ERS outputs must 

be cleared by the relevant Branch Chief(s) and Division Director(s) or their designees 

before public release. Outputs with authors in more than one branch require clearance 

by the Branch Chief of the lead author. Similarly, outputs with authors in more than one 

division require clearance by the Division Director (or designee) of the lead author. All 

Departmental reports are also cleared by the ERS Administrator.

The complete Agency clearance package consists of:

• Standard letter to the Administrator,

• A signed copy of ERS-31 (clearance form);

• A copy of the manuscript to be cleared;

• A Supplemental Information form answering standard OC questions 

about the report; and

• The metadata/social media form.
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Interagency clearance. Before a research report is cleared by the ERS Administrator, it 

may require interagency clearance (through a formal interagency policy review and clearance process). Departmental regulations specify that manuscripts “related closely to the 

work, programs, or policies of another agency” must be reviewed by that agency before 

publishing. While the PRCC may request a technical review from relevant agencies, formal 

policy review often is requested following PRCC approval. ISD sends such requests to the 

other agency’s publications control officer, who arranges for the review and returns the 

comments to ERS, either on the AD-159 form or in an e-mail.

Outline of ERS Review and Clearance Process

Economic Research Reports, Economic Information Bulletins,

Technical Bulletins, Economic Briefs, and Special Outlook Reports

1. Author’s Branch Chief submits draft report to ERS Peer Review Coordinating Council 

(PRCC)

2. PRCC obtains double-blind reviews from technical specialists in other agencies and 

research peers in ERS and outside government

3. Author responds to reviewers’ comments; PRCC evaluates author’s responses to reviewers 

and recommends Agency clearance

4. Initial clearance decision by senior ERS managers

5. Edited by ISD staff, sent for interagency policy review, if necessary, and cleared by ERS 

division director and ERS Administrator

6. Clearance decision by the USDA’s Office of Communications (by the World Agricultural 

Outlook Board for special outlook reports)

7. Advance copies of all cleared reports and an invitation to be briefed are delivered to

 relevant Departmental officials and Agency Administrators 7-10 days before report’s

scheduledrelease

8. Report is released

9. Any corrections must adhere to ERS errata policy

Pre-release Notifications

• Manuscripts undergoing peer review are identified on the ERS website.

• At bi-monthly meetings with USDA’s Office of the Secretary and Office of Communications, 

ERS briefs participants on reports scheduled for release in the next 2-3 months. Updates 

to the ERS Publishing Plan are emailed to REE and Subcabinet officials weekly.

• One week before a report is released, ERS includes its title and abstract in the “ERS 

Weekly Report” sent to REE.
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Departmental clearance. In accordance with Departmental regulations, all USDA publications receive departmental clearance.

Monographs: Departmental reports (ERRs, EIBs, EBs, and TBs) are cleared by OC. For 

this phase of the process, the clearance package includes

• A copy of the manuscript to be cleared,

• AD-59 (Request for Manuscript Review) form signed by the ERS Administrator or 

designee;

• AD-159 (Interagency Manuscript Review) form if the manuscript discusses the 

programs or policies of other Federal agencies; and

• A Supplemental Information form answering standard OC questions about the report.

Special outlook reports: Special outlook reports receive Departmental clearance through 

the WAOB, which is responsible for coordinating USDA interagency release of economic 

intelligence and commodity outlook information for U.S. and world agriculture. The clearance package for WAOB consists of:

• A copy of the manuscript to be cleared; and

• The names and affiliations of internal and external peer reviewers.

The WAOB review process ensures consistency with published USDA data and outlook 

reports and that the comments of USDA interagency reviewers have been addressed. Any 

review comments from the WAOB review and clearance process are addressed by ERS 

prior to final WAOB clearance.

Release. ERS strives to ensure that interested USDA officials are kept apprised of ERS’s publishing 

intentions. Beyond the official reviews conducted by OC and the WAOB, the following actions are 

built into our established publishing process:

• ERS’s Peer Review Agenda (www.ers.usda.gov/about-ers/peer-reviews.aspx) for potentially 

influential scientific information is posted on the ERS website. This agenda is updated quarterly.

• ERS holds regularly scheduled meetings that include officials in OC and the Office of the 

Secretary (OSEC), a representative from USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics (REE) 

mission area, and the communications coordinators for USDA mission areas. The public affairs 

directors of each agency are also invited. An ERS Publication Plans document is distributed 

(which includes research reports, special outlook reports, Amber Waves features, and selected 

data products), and ERS representatives discuss upcoming outputs. Weekly updates to the ERS 

Publication Plans document are emailed to subcabinet officials and others.

• Two weeks before a report is released, ERS includes the title and abstract in the “Forthcoming 

ERS Reports” document sent weekly to the OC communications coordinator for REE and in the 

“ERS Weekly Report” sent to REE.

• After a manuscript has been cleared by OC (or by the WAOB in the case of special outlook 

reports) and before it is released, ERS provides embargoed copies of reports and their summaries 

to senior officials in relevant USDA agencies. These notification copies are accompanied by an 

offer to brief USDA staff on the report’s findings upon request. These copies are distributed for 
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information purposes only, not for additional review. Release of the report is embargoed for about 

10 days to give recipients the time needed to examine the advance copy and request a briefing on 

the study’s findings, if desired.

Review/Clearance/Release of Outlook Newsletters

ERS outlook newsletters, released monthly or quarterly for a range of commodities, provide timesensitive data and analysis.

Review and Clearance. Outlook newsletters are written, reviewed, and cleared within several 

days of the monthly release of the Departmental World Agricultural Supply and Demand 

Estimates (WASDE) report. These ERS outlook reports follow an expedited review and clearance process coordinated by WAOB. ERS outlook newsletter drafts are first reviewed internally by the relevant subject matter experts. Final review and clearance is conducted by the 

WAOB chairpersons of the respective Interagency Commodity Estimates Committees.

Release. Each monthly outlook newsletter is released on the date specified in the ERS 

Outlook Calendar published at the beginning of each calendar year. No release of content 

is permitted before the official release date and time. All outlook reports are available on 

the date of release through the ERS website and at Cornell’s Mann Library, which houses 

commodity reports from USDA. ERS notifies email subscribers of the week’s releases 

each Friday.

Review/Clearance/Release of Amber Waves

An electronic magazine, Amber Waves (AW), covers the full range of ERS research and analysis. It 

allows ERS to expand the usefulness of its research by highlighting its relevance to contemporary 

events and by clearly communicating important program and policy implications to Government 

decisionmakers, food and agricultural business leaders, and the media.

Review and Clearance. Each AW article is reviewed by the author’s Branch Chief and the 

division’s AW Economics Editor and Product Coordinator, followed by interagency review 

for each feature article. AW articles are generally based on peer reviewed research, and so 

do not require a separate technical review. However, when new research is presented, articles must undergo a peer review process similar to that required for ERS research reports. 

Internal and external review of new material is coordinated by the division’s Product 

Coordinator in cooperation with the author’s Branch Chief.

AW articles are submitted for clearance after the appropriate reviews and revisions are 

completed. Clearance focuses primarily on policy sensitivity and effective communication. All articles must be cleared by the Division Director and the AW Board—comprised 

of the executive editor of AW, an assistant to the Administrator, each division’s Product 

Coordinator, and ISD communication staff. Articles with authors in more than one division 

require clearance by each author’s Division Director.

AW articles also must be cleared by the ERS Administrator and then by OC. The complete 

clearance package sent to OC is identical to that for ERS research reports, described above.
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Release. AW features are included in the ERS Publication Plans document discussed at 

bimonthly OC/OSEC briefings and distributed weekly to Subcabinet officials.

New AW material is released monthly on the ERS website. A quarterly wrap-up issue is 

released for mobile devices in February, June, September, and December.

Review/Clearance/Release of ERS Website Products

The ERS website is the Agency’s primary communications vehicle, and the web publishing process 

is a logical extension of the Agency’s communications planning and publishing process. Review of 

products featured on the website is critical to ensuring the quality and timeliness of information and 

reflecting Agency goals.

Review and Clearance. Web content undergoes agency review and clearance, with appropriate peer, Agency, and interagency reviews prior to final release.

Each web product undergoes a series of reviews. The Web Managing Editor oversees web 

product development and serves as final authority for posting to the website following 

appropriate reviews. The Assistant Directors for Communications in the three economic 

divisions, and the Deputy Director for Outlook in MTED, coordinate reviews for substance 

and accuracy with the relevant ERS authors, Product Coordinators, and program-division 

management, and approve final products for release. They also ensure regular reviews and 

updates of web pages and certify the content.

Release. Research reports, special outlook reports, outlook newsletters, and Amber Waves 

are published on the web and follow the release procedures outlined in sections above. 

Other web products (topic pages, data products, mapping applications, multimedia, etc.) are 

generally released along with their corresponding publications. Products are created on a 

development (or staging) server accessible only to internal staff, where metadata is applied, 

and they are cataloged and mapped to relevant subjects/products on the website. The 

web products are reviewed by editors, designers, authors and their Branch Chief(s), and, 

depending on the division and product, either by the Assistant Director for Communications 

or the Deputy (MTED) Director for Outlook. Once approved by the Web Managing Editor, 

they are released to the public website.

Correcting Errors in Publicly Released ERS Products

The transaction costs of correcting a digital publication are lower than those for a print publication, 

but digital corrections should not be taken lightly. Each correction reflects on the quality of ERS 

research and analysis, as well as on the quality of an author’s work. The ERS Errata Policy (see page 

14) supplements the standards for objectivity and integrity described in OMB’s Final Information 

Quality Bulletin for Peer Review. ERS differentiates between the procedures for correcting a publication, and for a data product (e.g., table, chart, web query application, or interactive map). Not all 

statistical and research agencies feature an errata page such as the one we post on our website, but 

we feel it is important to assure customers that we make every effort to provide accurate and reliable 

information and to provide transparency regarding any changes they might see in our products.
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ERS Correction Process

Decisions to revise a publication or data product and post an errata notice are made by ERS management. Consistent with other statistical agencies, ERS makes spelling and typographical corrections 

without errata, but these are also approved by the Administrator.

1. When a post-release error is discovered (including typos), the following division representatives 

are immediately notified, along with the appropriate Branch Chief and Division Director:

a. Research reports and Amber Waves: Product Coordinator 

b. Outlook reports: Outlook Coordinator

c. Data and other web products: Web Steering Committee representative

2. The division representative sends an email to the Administrator, with cc’s to Branch Chiefs of 

ISD’s Publishing Services and Web Services Branches (PSB and WSB), describing both the 

error and the correction.

3. The Administrator decides whether the correction will be made and whether an erratum is 

needed.

4. The division representative gives the PSB or WSB Branch Chiefs the revised copy and the errata 

statement for the ERS website errata page and the product’s index page. Corrections are made as 

follows:

a. Research reports and Amber Waves: Add a statement to the report’s contents page (online 

page and in the PDF)

b. Outlooks: Add a “sticky note” to the first page of the PDF, describing corrections. Add the 

same note to the web page (stays up until new content replaces it). Note: outlook newsletters follow a fast-track process of immediately making the change online simultaneously 

to notifying the Administrator.

– Make the necessary correction and send the corrected version (including sticky 

note), and updated index page (noting the correction) for posting;

– At the same time, send notification to the Office of the Administrator (OA); and add 

the item to the errata log on the website and post the updated product, index page, 

and errata page.

c. Data and other web products: Add a statement to the data product index page and to the 

Microsoft Excel file.

5. ISD and the author work together to ensure the correction is made. Both the division representative and the relevant ISD Branch Chief reviews the correction, which is then posted.

6. ISD ensures that the correction is included on the agency website errata page (which remains in 

place as a running log).

7. The WSB Branch Chief ensures any errata information is included in the weekly emails ERS 

sends to customers about new products.
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ERS Errata Policy

In the event that a substantive error is detected in a published information product (research 

report, market analysis and outlook report, Amber Waves, data product, or interactive map), ERS 

will make a correction. 

• ERS publications (research reports, market analysis and outlook reports) and Amber Waves

will be corrected as soon as possible after an error is discovered. If the information in question is factually incorrect, or presented in a manner that is subject to misinterpretation by the 

reader, a correction statement will be issued on the errata page on the ERS web site, on the 

product’s index page, and in the report itself.

• ERS data products (tables, charts, dynamic applications, and interactive maps) and other web 

products will be corrected as soon as possible after an error is discovered. A correction is 

different from a data update, whereby numbers are revised to incorporate more recent source 

information, which will be reflected in the next update cycle. The frequency of updates varies 

by data product, and updates are noted on the ERS calendar. A correction notice will be 

posted on the errata page, on the product’s index page, and on any files (Excel, HTML, PDF) 

containing the corrected data. The notices will remain with the data until the next update.

www.ers.usda.gov/about-ers/information-quality/ers-error-correction-policy.aspx

Clearance of Other Publications by ERS Authors

As part of their research duties at ERS, researchers often publish academic journal articles and book 

chapters, as well as conference papers, posters, and slide sets that are presented at both internal and 

external events. All of these materials are reviewed and cleared by ERS division- level management.

All research products authored by ERS staff are required to be policy-neutral and should ensure 

that any descriptions of USDA programs and policies are accurate. Reviews of “other publications” 

are not as focused on technical accuracy as those conducted for official ERS publications. Instead, 

author(s) and their Branch Chief(s) generally arrange for peer review of the research. The lead ERS 

author then submits a draft copy of the paper, poster, or presentation slide set, together with a signed 

clearance form (ERS-31) to his/her Branch Chief who reviews it for factual correctness, readability, 

and presentation style. The Branch Chief submits the draft copy to the division Product Coordinator 

for policy review and clearance. Although conference papers, posters, journal articles and other 

“outside” publications are produced as part of the authors’ research time, the findings do not go 

through Departmental clearance, so OMB requires a disclaimer clearly signifying that the findings 

are not official USDA-released information.7 After the publication has been reviewed by the division 

Product Coordinator, it is cleared through signature on the clearance form by the Division Director 

or designee.

7

A proper disclaimer states the following: The views expressed here are those of the authors and cannot be attributed 

to the ERS or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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Appendix—Using Neutral and Objective Language in 

Science and Technical Writing at ERS (applies to all 

ERS output)

ERS publications serve multiple objectives, including provision of information that can affect 

public policies and programs or evaluate the impact of food and agricultural policies and programs. 

However, because ERS is a research and statistical agency, it is not appropriate for ERS publications 

to advocate a specific policy, and in almost all cases such statements would go beyond the data and 

analysis presented.

As a Federal statistical agency ERS must provide information that is relevant to issues of public 

policy, while maintaining credibility among data and research users. This requires a strong position of independence with a clear distinction made between statistical information and analysis on 

the one hand, and policy interpretations of such information on the other. The National Research 

Council’s Principles and Practices for a Federal Statistical Agency provides additional information 

on this topic.

ERS authors may draw connections between their findings and official USDA policies, but must do 

so without making specific policy recommendations.

Examples of writing about policy relevance are provided below.

Not acceptable: “Therefore, this analysis is timely as a reminder to public health and nutrition organizations to encourage parents to continue to apply for and use WIC benefits even after children are 

no longer drinking infant formula.”

Acceptable alternative: “This analysis shows more economically advantaged households are more 

likely to delay entry into the program or exit after a child turns one year of age.”

Not acceptable: “Nutrition educators and WIC program coordinators working with pregnant women 

can apply these findings in practice, as they provide further evidence of the benefits of healthy food 

choices.”

Acceptable alternative: “These findings provide further evidence of the benefits of improved food 

choices.”

Not acceptable: “Policymakers should take into account that reduction in labor supply has negative 

effects on the overall economy.”

Acceptable alternative: “Moreover, this reduction in labor supply has negative effects on the overall 

economy.”

Not acceptable: “In order to boost payments to producers the level of revenue aggregation used to 

trigger ACRE payments should be changed.”

Acceptable alternative: “Changing the level of revenue aggregation used to trigger payments in a 

program like ACRE would alter expected payments and the reduction in farm revenue risk from the 

program.”

Not acceptable: “However, the importance of government payments as a percent of net cash farm 

income varies by ERS production region.”
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Acceptable alternative: “However, the ratio of government payments to net cash farm income varies 

by ERS production region.”

Not acceptable: “Excessive or poorly timed fertilizer application can cause nutrient runoff from 

farms into wells, waterways, wetlands, and estuaries.”

Acceptable alternative: “Excessive or poorly timed fertilizer application can contribute to nutrient 

runoff from farms into wells, waterways, wetlands, and estuaries.”

Not acceptable: “Policymakers have been concerned about supporting small and mid-sized 

farmers.”

Acceptable alternative: “Federal initiatives have been developed recently to support small and midsized farmers.”