The National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) has had its Information Quality Peer Review page in place for some time but it is one of those webpages that does not make it to the headlines of major news services. If you are interested in the work done by NIOSH and also are concerned about how its work is vetted and used in the public sector this is a good place to start. In times when many of the governments statements and reports have been criticized for their lack of transparency this service does stand out as a good role model.

“This site provides information on the independent peer review of documents defined by NIOSH as influential in terms of their potential impact on public policy or the private sector. NIOSH makes this information available to demonstrate its efforts to utilize only the most transparent and independent peer review, appropriate research methods, and the highest level of data quality.

In addition, this information demonstrates NIOSH compliance with the specific requirements of the Information Quality Act (2000), 44 U.S.C. §3516, and of peer review standards developed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). OMB requirements, described in the Peer Review Bulletin , include making publicly available specific information on the peer review of influential documents disseminated by the federal government. OMB has defined two special categories of influential information, Influential Scientific Information (ISI) and Highly Influential Scientific Assessments (HISAs).”

For issues related to the NIOSH Peer Review Agenda please contact:

Information Quality Peer Review Staff
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Office of Public Health Research
1600 Clifton Road, NE MS D-72
Atlanta, GA 30333
peer.review@cdc.gov