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EnglishWhat Kinds of Reports and Publications Are Available from the National Academies?
Updated
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine publish independent, objective advice across science, engineering, and medicine — including consensus study reports, decadal surveys that set research priorities, and practical guides for researchers. You can find these through the news, announcement, and feature pages on nationalacademies.org, which surface new releases alongside the reports themselves. This overview is for anyone who wants to know what the Academies produce and where to look for it.
The main categories of publications
The Academies' output is organized around the advice they provide to policymakers, the public, and the research community. The most visible types are:
- Consensus study reports — the flagship product. Expert committees review evidence and issue findings and recommendations. These are the documents most often cited in policy debates.
- Decadal surveys — long-range assessments that identify scientific priorities and opportunities for a field over the coming decade.
- Guides and standards for researchers — practical, widely used references on research conduct and responsibility.
- Statements, news releases, and announcements — shorter communications that flag new reports, institutional positions, and events.
Decadal surveys: setting the research agenda
Decadal surveys are a distinctive Academies product. They map out scientific priorities for a discipline and are used by funders and agencies to plan investments.
A concrete example from the site: NASA announced it would begin preliminary design and technology development for the PRIMA (PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics) telescope — described as the first of a new class of telescopes recommended by a 2020 National Academies decadal survey that identifies scientific priorities and opportunities for astronomy and astrophysics. This shows how a decadal survey can translate directly into a funded mission.
If you want to understand where a field is heading, decadal surveys are the place to start.
Guides for researchers and responsible conduct
The Academies also publish practical guidance aimed at the research community itself. Two examples appear in the site's recent announcements:
- On Being a Scientist — presented in an updated edition by Neil Shubin.
- A widely used guide to responsible research — released in a new edition.
These are oriented toward how research is done and how scientists should behave, rather than toward a specific policy question. They are useful for students, early-career researchers, and institutions building training materials.
Subject coverage: science, engineering, medicine, and their intersections
The Academies frame their work around three domains and the value of combining them:
- Science helps us understand and anticipate the future.
- Engineering helps us invent and shape our future.
- Medicine helps us treat and find cures for our illnesses.
- Together, they can help build a thriving and healthy society.
In practice, publications cut across these lines. A current example is AI: as rapid advances raise concerns about how AI can be pursued safely without stifling technological progress, the Academies have been working to better understand what these advances mean for researchers and society at large.
How to find new and recent publications
The site's news and announcement sections are the most direct way to see what has just been released. Recent items illustrate the range:
| Item | Type | What it signals |
|---|---|---|
| How the National Academies Are Informing Discussions of AI Progress and Safety | Feature story | Cross-cutting work on AI safety and research |
| U.S. National Academies Presidents Comment on Attack on the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine | Statement | Institutional positions and international solidarity |
| NASA Announces New Far-Infrared Telescope | Announcement | A decadal survey recommendation moving into development |
| Neil Shubin Presents Updated 'On Being a Scientist' | Announcement | Updated researcher guidance |
| National Academies Release New Edition of Widely Used Guide to Responsible Research | News release | Updated responsible-research guidance |
A practical approach: start with the news and announcement listings to catch new releases, then follow the linked report or guide for the full document. Feature stories are useful when you want context on how a body of work fits together — for instance, the AI feature explains the Academies' role in informing discussions rather than presenting a single report.
Who this is for
- Policymakers and analysts — consensus reports and decadal surveys give citable, independent findings and recommendations.
- Researchers and students — guides like On Being a Scientist and the responsible-research guide cover conduct and practice.
- Funders and agencies — decadal surveys provide priority-setting frameworks, as the PRIMA telescope example shows.
- General readers — feature stories and statements explain the Academies' positions and ongoing work in accessible terms.
What to keep in mind
The Academies describe their role as providing independent, objective advice to advance science, engineering, and medicine — so expect publications framed as evidence-based findings and recommendations rather than advocacy. The scale of the effort is significant: in 2025, over 20,000 volunteers, Academy members, and staff fulfilled the mission to help policymakers and the public understand and find solutions to complex problems.
If you are looking for a specific report, the fastest route is usually the news or announcement item that introduced it, since those pages name the publication and its topic directly.