Accessibility of Government Information Online (US0054)
Overview
At-a-Glance
Action Plan: United States Action Plan 2015-2017
Action Plan Cycle: 2015
Status: Inactive
Institutions
Lead Institution: NA
Support Institution(s): NA
Policy Areas
Marginalized CommunitiesIRM Review
IRM Report: United States End-of-Term IRM Report 2015-2017, United States Mid-Term Report 2015-2017
Starred: No
Early Results: Marginal
Design i
Verifiable: No
Relevant to OGP Values: Access to Information
Implementation i
Description
Developing and adopting accessible, universally-designed programs and websites is critical to making sure every
American has access to public services. Additionally, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that people with disabilities have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access and use by
people without disabilities. The U.S. Access Board promulgates the Section 508 standards that specify what is required by Section 508 for websites. To increase accessibility of government information online, the United States will:
IRM Midterm Status Summary
For details of these commitments, see the report: https://www.opengovpartnership.org/documents/united-states-mid-term-report-2015-2017/
IRM End of Term Status Summary
Commitment 2. Increase Accessibility of Government Information Online
Commitment Text:
Increase Accessibility of Government Information Online
Developing and adopting accessible, universally-designed programs and websites is critical to making sure every American has access to public services. Additionally, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that people with disabilities have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access and use by people without disabilities. The U.S. Access Board promulgates the Section 508 standards that specify what is required by Section 508 for websites. To increase accessibility of government information online, the United States will:
- Implement and Improve Upon the U.S. Web Design Standards. In September 2015, the U.S. Digital Service [16] launched a set of design patterns and tools as best practices to improve design of the hundreds of websites across dozens of agencies to provide consistent, visually appealing, and easy-to-use government websites that are compliant with Federal disability access requirements. Focusing on the user experience, the U.S. Digital Service worked with an interagency team to create a common visual style that is applicable across a broad range of government platforms. The team will use open platforms to work to improve upon the design standards, making regular releases in the coming months.
- Review and Report Accessibility Compliance of Federal Websites. By creating and implementing software code that can assist in evaluating the accessibility of websites across the government, the United States will increase the government’s ability to assess accessibility of Federal information for citizen consumers and Federal workers with disabilities. The General Services Administration will expand the transparent reporting platform pulse.cio.gov to measure performance of all Federal web domains against web policy requirements and industry best practices, while connecting domain owners to information and resources to better ensure that their sites comply with the requirements of Section 508.
- Develop Limited-English-Proficiency Policies and Programs. The United States will ensure that public- facing programs and activities, including recipients of Federal financial assistance through the General Services Administration, have policies and practices in place to provide meaningful access to limited- English-proficient individuals. The General Services Administration will conduct outreach and training efforts with its employees and recipients of Federal assistance to inform these policies and programs.
Responsible Institution: General Services Administration
Supporting Institutions: All Federal Agencies, members of the public
Start Date: Not Specified ....... End Date: Not Specified
Commitment Aim
This commitment aimed to make government websites more accessible for individuals with disabilities and limited English proficiency. With respect to the former, the commitment aimed to make government websites compliant with Section 508 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. [17] That law requires equal access to comparable information for individuals with and without disabilities. The commitment aimed more specifically to:
- Improve upon the US Web Design Standards [18]—renamed the US Web Design System in January 2018—a set of user-centered design standards and tools for government websites;
- Expand the pulse.cio.gov reporting platform to measure federal websites’ compliance with “policy requirements and industry best practices,” including Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act; and
- Ensure that public-facing government programs and activities have policies and practices that facilitate equal access by individuals with limited English proficiency.
Status
Midterm: Limited
As described in the progress report, the government had made limited progress on this commitment at the midterm. With respect to the US Web Design System, the government released a series of eight updates through June 2016. However, it had not yet released the first official version of the standards (i.e., version 1.0.0). [19] Regarding pulse.cio.gov, at midterm, the platform reported only the number of federal domains that use HTTPS and participate in the Digital Analytics Program. It did not report any information on federal website compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Lastly, while the General Services Administration purportedly released a limited-English-proficiency action plan prior to the midterm, [20] the plan was not publicly available.
End of Term: Limited
The General Services Administration (GSA) released the first major version (version 1.0) of the US Web Design System (then known as the US Web Design Standards) on 23 February 2017. [21] Between then and the end of the reporting period in June 2017, GSA released seven updates on roughly a monthly basis. By the end of April 2018, there were 16 releases in all since the release of version 1.0, and releases are now biweekly. [22] The updates addressed bug fixes and incorporated additional technical features, as described on its website. [23] This milestone is therefore complete. The public can follow the work of the interagency team that is responsible for this system via a detailed roadmap. [24]
By contrast, the government has not incorporated additional website accessibility metrics into the pulse.cio.gov reporting platform relative to the midterm. [25] According to GSA:
“The Pulse accessibility program will use an open source technology to scan .gov domains against accessibility standards consistent with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. This effort will identify a subset of potential accessibility errors and display accompanying recommendations. This tool is intended to be used in conjunction with manual inspection and will not be a replacement for full accessibility assessments. GSA is working with the Chief Information Officers Council Accessibility Community of Practice, agency coordinators and web developers to devise a deployment strategy for agencies.” [26]
However, this program was not yet operational by the end of the action plan.
As for the development of limited-English-proficiency policies, GSA’s limited-English-proficiency action plan remains unavailable. According to GSA, it has developed a plan that consists of three pillars:
- The development and deployment of an agency-wide language translation services contract and procedures;
- Targeted outreach and education for recipients of Federal Financial Assistance; and
- Meaningful LEP [limited-English-proficiency] access for GSA’s public-facing programs and in Federal buildings and locations under GSA custody and control. [27]
According to GSA, it has completed the first pillar whereas the second and third pillars are underway. [28] However, according to a federal interagency website on issues related to limited English proficiency—which was last updated on 30 March 2018—the GSA limited-English-proficiency action plan is “pending”. [29] Given that the plan is not yet publicly available, completion is limited. Given the lack of concrete results for two of the three milestones, the commitment’s overall completion is also limited.
Did It Open Government?
Access to Information: Marginal
The opening of government resulting from this commitment regarding access to information is linked entirely to the US Web Design System (USDWS), since the government did not make tangible progress on the two other milestones.
The USDWS Team reports that, by the end of the action plan in June 2017, roughly 142 million users—of which roughly 122 million were new users—visited government websites that use the system (via code and/or design). [30] By the end of March 2018, these numbers increased to roughly 179 million total users, of which roughly 155 million were new users. [31] Moreover, by the end of April 2018, 138 government websites and applications utilized the system. [32]
According to data from the Digital Analytics Program, the executive branch alone has more than 4,500 websites. [33] The number highlights the relatively small percentage of federal websites (approximately 2.8 percent) that currently employ the system. Among those sites that do employ it, it is unclear whether their implementation facilitated an increase in traffic.
Moreover, while the General Services Administration (GSA), using extensive user research, designed the system to be user friendly, the extent to which the system has directly improved access to information remains unclear. A series of interviews that GSA conducted with government agencies that employ the system speaks to this issue. For example, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) emphasized the importance of having “a ‘common look and feel’ for all CBP digital products” to help provide a more unified user experience. But the agency gives little indication of how the public has benefited from the visually unified sites. [34] The Lab in the Office of Personnel Management similarly notes that “the Standards . . . helped act as a catalyst for bringing along some user centered design thinking” for the USAJOBS website. [35] However, it does not clearly describe any positive impact on access to information. [36]
The most concrete example linking the system’s implementation to an improvement in access to information comes from an interview with Vets.gov. The interviewee described how users were initially confused by the site’s use of an asterisk to denote required fields on a web form. The system’s alternative indicator for required fields caused less confusion among users. [37] This example is nevertheless an isolated one and is limited in scope.
Two agencies explicitly linked their decision to implement the system to the Rehabilitation Act to better serve people with disabilities. These agencies include GSA’s Code.gov (the home of federal source code) and the Department of Agriculture. Olivier Kamanda, project manager for Code.gov, noted that “using the Standards we didn’t have to worry about ADA compliance, since those best practices are built into the package.” [38] The Department of Agriculture similarly noted that “we had some questions around 508 accessibility compliance, on how agencies can adhere to the accessibility guidelines when applying the Standards, and we were able to work quickly to ensure these needs were met, as well.” [39]
These isolated examples provide little indication of the extent to which similar concerns fueled the system’s adoption across the 138 government websites and applications that employ them. The examples also do not demonstrate measurable improvements in access to information. The IRM researcher therefore assesses this milestone to have marginally opened government.
Carried Forward?
As of early 2018, the US government had not yet published a fourth action plan. The government should aim to continue to make progress on improving the accessibility of government information for people with disabilities and limited English proficiency. The government could also consider building upon the activities carried out relating to the standards. In these efforts, it could broaden the standards’ adoption to include a larger percentage of government websites.
[16] During the pre-publication review of this report, GSA indicated that both the U.S. Digital Service and 18F launched this system. The commitment text above, however, was copied directly from the action plan and was therefore not revised. Comments received via e-mail on 30 April 2018.
[17] For more detailed information on Section 508, see US General Services Administration, “Section 508 Law and Related Laws and Policies,” Section508.gov, https://www.section508.gov/content/learn/laws-and-policies, consulted 2 October 2017.
[18] US General Services Administration and 18F, “U.S. Web Design Standards,” US Web Design System, https://standards.usa.gov/, consulted 2 October 2017.
[19] US General Services Administration and 18F. “Release Notes,” US Web Design System, 23 February 2017, https://standards.usa.gov/whats-new/releases/, consulted 2 October 2017.
[20] United States of America, Midterm Self-Assessment Report for the Open Government Partnership: Third Open Government National Action Plan, 2015-2017, September 2016, 5, https://www.opengovpartnership.org/sites/default/files/USA_NAP3_self-assessment-report_20160916.pdf, consulted 2 October 2017.
[21] US General Services Administration and 18F, “Release Notes: Version 1.0.0,” US Web Design System, https://standards.usa.gov/whats-new/releases/#version-1-0-0, consulted 6 September 2017.
[22] The IRM received this information from GSA during the pre-publication review of this report. The comment was received via e-mail on 30 April 2018.
[23] US General Services Administration and 18F, “Release Notes,” US Web Design System, 23 February 2017, https://standards.usa.gov/whats-new/releases/, consulted 2 October 2017.
[24] “Product roadmap,” US Web Design System, https://designsystem.digital.gov/whats-new/product-roadmap/, consulted 2 May 2018.
[25] See https://bit.ly/2HH4shL, consulted 6 September 2017.
[26] The IRM received this information from GSA during the pre-publication review of this report. The comment was received via e-mail on 30 April 2018.
[27] Ibid.
[28] Ibid.
[29] “Federal Agency LEP Plans,” Limited English Proficiency (LEP), 30 March 2018, https://www.lep.gov/guidance/fed_LEP_Plan.html, consulted 2 May 2018.
[30] “Q1 2017 Analytics Update,” US Web Design System, 27 March 2017, https://standards.usa.gov/whats-new/updates/2017/03/27/u-s-web-design-standards-exposure-analytics/, consulted 6 September 2017.
[31] “Overview,” US Web Design System, https://designsystem.digital.gov/whats-new/#web-analytics-for-sites-that-use-the-design-system, consulted 2 May 2018.
[32] The IRM received this information from GSA during the pre-publication review of this report. The comment was received via e-mail on 30 April 2018.
[33] “About This Site,” Analytics.USA.Gov, https://analytics.usa.gov/#explanation, consulted 6 September 2017.
[34] “U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Case Study,” US Web Design System, 31 March 2017, https://standards.usa.gov/whats-new/updates/2017/03/31/u-s-customs-and-border-patrol-case-study/, consulted 6 September 2017.
[35] See http://www.usajobs.gov, consulted 6 September 2017.
[36] “How the USAJOBS Team Uses the U.S. Web Design Standards,” US Web Design System, 19 June 2017, https://standards.usa.gov/whats-new/updates/2017/06/19/usajobs-case-study/, consulted 6 September 2017.
[37] “How the Vets.gov Team Uses the U.S. Web Design Standards,” US Web Design System, 10 July 2017, https://standards.usa.gov/whats-new/updates/2017/07/10/vets-case-study/, consulted 6 September 2017.
[38] “How the Code.gov Team Uses the U.S. Web Design Standards,” US Web Design System, 24 July 2017, https://standards.usa.gov/whats-new/updates/2017/07/24/code-gov-case-study/, consulted 6 September 2017.
[39] “How the USDA Team Uses the U.S. Web Design Standards,” US Web Design System, 6 June 2017, https://standards.usa.gov/whats-new/updates/2017/06/06/usda-case-study/, consulted 6 September 2017.
Commitments
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Federal Data Strategy
US0105, 2019, E-Government
-
Grants Accountability
US0106, 2019, E-Government
-
Public Access to Federally Funded Research
US0107, 2019, Access to Information
-
Workforce Data Standards
US0108, 2019, E-Government
-
Chief Data Officers
US0109, 2019, Access to Information
-
Open Data for Public Health
US0110, 2019, Access to Information
-
Enterprise Objective
US0111, 2019, Capacity Building
-
Developing Future Action Plans
US0112, 2019, Public Participation
-
Reconstitution of the USA.gov
US0053, 2015, E-Government
-
Accessibility of Government Information Online
US0054, 2015, Marginalized Communities
-
Access to Educational Resources
US0055, 2015, Access to Information
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Public Listing of Every Address in the US
US0056, 2015, Access to Information
-
Informed Decisions About Higher Education.
US0057, 2015, Access to Information
-
New Authentication Tools to Protect Individual Privacy and Ensure That Personal Records Go Only to the Intended Recipients.
US0058, 2015,
-
Transparency of Open311
US0059, 2015, E-Government
-
Support Medicine Research Throught Opening up Relevant Data of the Field
US0060, 2015, Access to Information
-
Access to Workforce Data
US0061, 2015, Access to Information
-
Using Evidence and Concrete Data to Improve Public Service Delivery
US0062, 2015, Capacity Building
-
Expand Use of the Federal Infrastructure Permitting Dashboard
US0063, 2015,
-
Consolidation of Import and Export Systems
US0064, 2015, E-Government
-
Improving Government Records
US0065, 2015, Access to Information
-
Ammendments to FOIA
US0066, 2015, Access to Information
-
Streamline the Declassification Process
US0067, 2015, Capacity Building
-
Implement the Controlled Unclassified Information Program
US0068, 2015, Access to Information
-
Transparency of Privacy Programs and Practices
US0069, 2015, Capacity Building
-
Transparency of Federal Use of Investigative Technologies
US0070, 2015, E-Government
-
Increase Transparency of the Intelligence Community
US0071, 2015, Access to Information
-
Open Science Through Open Data
US0072, 2015, Access to Information
-
Open Data Portal
US0073, 2015, E-Government
-
Increase Transparency of Trade Policy and Negotiations
US0074, 2015, E-Government
-
Develop a Machine Readable Government Organizational Chart
US0075, 2015, Access to Information
-
Improving Public Participation
US0076, 2015, Public Participation
-
Expand Public Participation in the Development of Regulations
US0077, 2015, Open Regulations
-
Civic Engagement in Decision-Making Processes
US0078, 2015, Public Participation
-
Open Mapping
US0079, 2015, Access to Information
-
Tracking OGP Implementation
US0080, 2015,
-
Strengthening Whistleblower Protection
US0081, 2015, Anti-Corruption
-
Transparency of Legal Entities
US0082, 2015, Anti-Corruption
-
Extractive Industries Transparency
US0083, 2015, Anti-Corruption
-
Spending Transparency
US0084, 2015, Access to Information
-
Enhance the Use of U.S. Foreign Assistance Information
US0085, 2015, Aid
-
Participatory Budgets and Responsive Spending
US0086, 2015, Fiscal Openness
-
Expand Access to Justice to Promote Federal Programs
US0087, 2015, Dispute Resolution & Legal Assistance
-
Build Safer Communities with Police Open Data
US0088, 2015, Access to Information
-
Open Federal Data to Benefit Local Communities
US0089, 2015, Access to Information
-
Support the Municipal Data Network
US0090, 2015, Access to Information
-
Foster Data Ecosystems
US0091, 2015, Capacity Building
-
Extend Digital, Data-Driven Government to Federal Government’S Support for Communities
US0092, 2015, Capacity Building
-
Promote Implementation of SDGs
US0093, 2015, Access to Information
-
Promote Open Climate Data
US0094, 2015, Access to Information
-
Air Quality Data Available
US0095, 2015, Access to Information
-
Promote Food Security and Data Sharing for Agriculture and Nutrition
US0096, 2015, Access to Information
-
Promote Data Sharing About Global Preparedness for Epidemic Threats
US0097, 2015, Capacity Building
-
Promote Global Interconnectivity
US0098, 2015, Aid
-
Open Contracting
US0099, 2015, Access to Information
-
Harness the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development
US0100, 2015, Access to Information
-
Open Government to Support Global Sustainable Development
US0101, 2015, Anti-Corruption
-
Open Collaboration Onf the Arctic
US0102, 2015, Environment and Climate
-
Support Capacity Building for Extractives Transparency
US0103, 2015, Anti-Corruption
-
Support Responsible Investment and Business Practices for Companies
US0104, 2015, Private Sector
-
Improve Public Participation in Government
US0027, 2013, Capacity Building
-
Modernize Management of Government Records
US0028, 2013, Records Management
-
Modernize the Freedom of Information Act
US0029, 2013, Access to Information
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Transform the Security Classification System
US0030, 2013, Peace & Security
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Implement the Controlled Unclassified Information Program
US0031, 2013, Peace & Security
-
Increase Transparency of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Activities
US0032, 2013, Data Stewardship and Privacy
-
Make Privacy Compliance Information More Accessible
US0033, 2013, E-Government
-
Support and Improve Agency Implementation of Open Government Plans
US0034, 2013,
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Strengthen and Expand Whistleblower Protections for Government Personnel
US0035, 2013, Anti-Corruption
-
Increase Transparency of Legal Entities Formed in the United States
US0036, 2013, Legislation & Regulation
-
Implement the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
US0037, 2013, Access to Information
-
Make Fossil Fuel Subsidies More Transparent
US0038, 2013, Anti-Corruption
-
Increase Transparency in Spending
US0039, 2013, Access to Information
-
Increase Transparency of Foreign Assistance
US0040, 2013, Aid
-
Continue to Improve Performance.Gov
US0041, 2013, E-Government
-
Consolidate Import and Export Systems to Curb Corruption
US0042, 2013, Private Sector
-
Promote Public Participation in Community Spending Decisions
US0043, 2013, Fiscal Openness
-
Expand Visa Sanctions to Combat Corruption
US0044, 2013, Anti-Corruption
-
Further Expand Public Participation in the Development of Regulations
US0045, 2013, Capacity Building
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Open Data to the Public
US0046, 2013, Access to Information
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Continue to Pilot Expert Networking Platforms
US0047, 2013, Public Participation
-
Reform Government Websites
US0048, 2013, E-Government
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Promote Innovation Through Collaboration and Harness the Ingenuity of the American Public
US0049, 2013, Capacity Building
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Promote Open Education to Increase Awareness and Engagement
US0050, 2013, E-Government
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Deliver Government Services More Effectively Through Information Technology
US0051, 2013, E-Government
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Increase Transparency in Spending
US0052, 2013, Access to Information
-
Reform Records Management
US0001, 2011, Records Management
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Lead a Multi-Agency Effort
US0002, 2011, Capacity Building
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Monitor Agency Implementation of Plans
US0003, 2011,
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Provide Enforcement and Compliance Data Online
US0004, 2011, Access to Information
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Advocate for Legislation Requiring Meaningful Disclosure
US0005, 2011, Legislation & Regulation
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Apply Lessons from Recovery Act to Increate Spending Transparency
US0006, 2011, Fiscal Openness
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Government-Wide Reporting Requirements for Foreign Aid
US0007, 2011, Access to Information
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Use Performanc.Gov to Improve Government Performance and Accountability
US0008, 2011,
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Overhaul the Public Participation Interface on Regulations.Gov
US0009, 2011, Legislation & Regulation
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Launch Expertnet
US0010, 2011, E-Government
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Launch International Space Apps Competition
US0011, 2011, E-Government
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Launch “We the People”
US0012, 2011, E-petitions
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Open Source “We the People”
US0013, 2011, E-petitions
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Develop Best Practices and Metrics for Public Participation
US0014, 2011, Capacity Building
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Professionalize the FOIA Administration
US0015, 2011, Access to Information
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Harness the Power of Technology
US0016, 2011, Access to Information
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Advocate for Legislation on Whistleblower Protection
US0017, 2011, Anti-Corruption
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Explore Executive Authority to Protect Whistleblowers
US0018, 2011, Anti-Corruption
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Implement the EITI
US0019, 2011, Anti-Corruption
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Partnership to Build on Recent Progress
US0020, 2011, Anti-Corruption
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Promote Data.Gov to Spur Innovation Through Open Sourcing
US0021, 2011, Access to Information
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Data.Gov: Foster Communities on Data.Gov
US0022, 2011, Access to Information
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Begin Online National Dialogue with the American Public
US0023, 2011, Public Participation
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Update Government-Wide Policies for Websites
US0024, 2011,
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Promote Smart Disclosure to Ensure Timely Release of Information
US0025, 2011, Access to Information
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Publish Guidelines on Scientific Data
US0026, 2011, Access to Information