New publication review

When pesticides are mentioned in a manuscript

All ANR peer-reviewed manuscripts with a trade or chemical name of a pesticide must be checked by the Office of Pesticide Information and Coordination (OPIC). Educational statements such as “DDT was used in California crop production from 1945 to 1972” does not need to be approved by OPIC.

Why is this necessary? The Office of Pesticide Information and Coordination (OPIC), under the direction of the Statewide Pesticide Coordinator, is required by University of California policy to ensure that ANR-published publications mentioning do not violate state and federal pesticide registrations. The process is designed to protect the public, our clientele and the University from individual injury and from liability as a result of users following our printed materials.

When does the pesticide review occur? This step occurs after ANR peer review is complete and before Communication Services begins production on the publication.

How to tell this step is necessary? Associate Editors are alerted to a pesticide use recommendation in a manuscript on the MF-21 submittal form. If there are no pesticides mentioned, authors initial on this line:
      If no pesticides are mentioned, author should initial here _______.
and the Associate Editor has no further action to take.

If there are pesticides mentioned, associate editors click the link to the OPIC page and upload the manuscript. OPIC will review it and recommend what, if any, text changes need to be made and which, if any, pesticide warning statements should be included. 

When completed, the associate editor will receive an email from OPIC with a Statewide Pesticide Coordinator Certification. The AE uploads the certification document to the manuscript's page in Manuscript FastTrack as an attachment and sign sthe MF-21 submittal form. 

ANR peer review is complete for these manuscripts only after this OPIC certification process is finished.