A Survey of Federal Scientists

The 2018 Survey of Federal Scientists targeted 63,248 contacts across 16 US federal agencies to investigate scientific integrity and the impact of political interference on science-based decision-making. Administered by the Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology at Iowa State University for the Union of Concerned Scientists, the survey utilized a multimode approach including online web surveys, PDF forms, and phone interviews. The final data set comprised 4,211 responses, representing an overall response rate of 6.67%. The survey instrument specifically questioned respondents on workforce reductions, the omission of politically contentious terms—including 'climate change'—and the effectiveness of agency scientific integrity and whistleblower policies.

• The final sample for the 2018 Survey of Federal Scientists included 63,248 contacts across 16 primary federal agencies.
• The overall response rate for the survey was 6.67%, with 4,211 surveys included in the final data set from 63,126 eligible contacts.
• The final data set consisted of 3,783 complete surveys and 428 partially complete surveys, the vast majority of which (4,178) were completed online.
• Response rates varied significantly by agency, with the highest rate at the US Geological Survey (19.12%) and the lowest at the US Census Bureau (2.17%).
• The survey instrument included specific questions asking scientists if they had been told to avoid work on or omit the phrase 'climate change' from their work.
• The survey investigated barriers to science-based decisions, including the influence of political appointees, the White House, Congress, and industry stakeholders.
• The methodology employed a multimode approach to maximize response, offering online web surveys, downloadable PDFs, and confidential phone interviews.
• To ensure anonymity, the survey used an 'Anonymizing Responses' feature that removed email addresses, IP addresses, and location data upon completion.
• The survey targeted agencies based on their science-based missions, implementation of science-based policies, or history of scientific integrity concerns.

APA

Larson, J., & Connor, A. (2018). A Survey of Federal Scientists. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/2018-survey-of-federal-scientists-methodology-report.pdf

Chicago

Larson, JM, and AG Connor. A Survey of Federal Scientists. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2018. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/2018-survey-of-federal-scientists-methodology-report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Larson |first1=JM |last2=Connor |first2=AG |title=A Survey of Federal Scientists |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=4 May 2018 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/2018-survey-of-federal-scientists-methodology-report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{larson2018survey, author = {Larson, JM and Connor, AG}, title = {{A Survey of Federal Scientists}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2018}, month = may, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/2018-survey-of-federal-scientists-methodology-report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }