Information Quality

General Information/Peer Review

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is committed to applying rigorous scientific standards to ensure the accuracy and reliability of research results. For scientific and technical documents, the scientific community recognizes peer review as the primary means of quality control. CDC routinely seeks the input of highly qualified peer reviewers on the propriety, accuracy, completeness, and quality (including objectivity, utility, and integrity) of its materials.

Although the specific application of peer review throughout the scientific process may vary, the overall goal is to obtain an objective evaluation of scientific information from fellow scientists. To encourage the use of peer review of official Government scientific information disseminated by a Federal agency, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued guidelines creating standards for peer review. The OMB Bulletin for Peer Review are part of a broader effort under the 2001 Information Quality Act (Public Law No. 106-554, Section 515[a]), to ensure the quality of all information disseminated by Federal agencies.

Information Quality Guidelines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed information quality guidelines in order to maintain the high quality of the information it provides to the public. These guidelines include administrative mechanisms for affected parties to seek corrections to noncompliant information provided by the agency. Since the influence and implications of disseminated information cannot always be fully anticipated, all CDC scientific reports are expected to state clearly and specifically how the results are generated-data used, various assumptions, analytic methods, statistical procedures, sources of error-so that the original analysis is sufficiently transparent.

Relevant Guideline Documents

• Frequently Asked Questions (Includes information on how to submit a request for correction)
• CDC Information Quality Contact
• CDC Information Quality Guidelines
• HHS Information Quality Guidelines
• OMB Information Quality Guidelines (February 22, 2002)
• Review Requests for Correction

Appeal Requests

If CDC denies a request for correction, the requestor may send within 30 days of receipt of the agency's decision a written request for reconsideration. The request should state the reasons for the appeal and may be sent as hard copy or electronically to InfoQuality@cdc.gov. Requestors should reference the CDC tracking number provided in the CDC response to the original request. If sent by hard copy, requestors should also clearly mark the appeal and the outside envelope with "Information Quality Appeal," and send the appeal to the following address:

CDC/ATSDR Office of Science Quality
1600 Clifton Road, NE
MS-D72 (attn.: Information Quality)
Atlanta, GA 30333