Information Quality in the Assessment

As a “highly influential scientific assessment” (HISA),¹ the Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2) contains cited information that meets the standards of the Information Quality Act (IQA). SOCCR2 followed federal information quality, transparency, and accessibility guidelines, undergoing peer review, public review, and final interagency review in the United States.

¹ The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requirements for highly influential scientific assessments (Executive Office of the President 2004) and the OMB M05-03 Peer Review Bul- letin Section III (Peer Review of Highly Influential Scientific Assessments) describe making publicly available the specific information on the peer review of influential documents disseminated by the federal government: “Even for these highly influential scientific assessments, the Bulletin leaves significant discretion to the agency formulating the peer review plan. … The use of a transparent process, coupled with the selection of qualified and independent peer reviewers, should improve the quality of governmental science while promoting public confidence in the integrity of the government’s scientific products.” Under the auspices of the U.S. Global Change Research Program and U.S. Department of Agriculture administrative leadership, the Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report followed the requirements, had significant interagency leadership and interests, and underwent multiple peer reviews, including by the public and a committee of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.