Ethics
Participation in Non-USDA Publications
Ethics Advisors often receive questions from ARS scientists about
editing or writing book chapters. Most often, the scientist wishes
to do this as part of his or her official duties. Following are
requirements for you to consider should you wish to participate
in preparing non- USDA publications. on official time.
1. The Area Director must approve an ARS
employee's use of official time to edit or write official materials
for textbooks, monographs, manuals, or other non-USDA publications.
Approval is based on the following:
- Publication is within the scope of his or her official duties.
- Employee's advance request to the Area Director (AD) for permission
to undertake the work on official Government time.
- Project would help discharge the information obligation of ARS.
- No compensation from sources outside ARS will be accepted for
project. Please note: Government employees may NOT request that
royalties be given to a specific nonprofit organization. Employees
MAY ONLY request that royalties be donated to a nonprofit organization
of the publisher's choice.
2. The material must be cleared by:
- AD for technical accuracy.
- If the material interprets the policies of the USDA, deals with
sensitive issues or programs, or needs to be cleared by other
departments or agencies, it shall be submitted to the Information
Staff. In turn, the Information Staff will evaluate and, if necessary,
forward to Office of Communications for final clearance.
3. COPYRIGHT
- Under the copyright law, Government works CANNOT be copyrighted.
In responding to a request to sign a transfer of copyright, employee
must return the form UNSIGNED with a cover letter that contains
the following statement:
- The article cited was prepared by a USDA employee as part
of his or her official duties and cannot legally be copyrighted.
The fact that the private publication in which the article appears
is itself copyrighted does not affect the material of the Government,
which can be reproduced by the public at will.
- Reference: REE Policy and Procedures 150.1, Dissemination of
Public Information by ARS, and 152.1, Procedures for Publishing
Manuscripts and Abstracts with Non-USDA Publishers (Outside Publishing).
For further information, please call Sandy Miller Hayes on 301/504-1636;
email address: shays@ars.usda.gov or call the Ethics Advisor servicing
your area/location. (A special "thank you" to June Williams, former
Ethics Advisor for the Southern Plains Area, for writing this article.
Last Updated: 06/04/2003
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