In publications of the Geological Survey of Canada, there are two ways of documenting the occurrence of fossils in an area: by formal, systematic descriptions or taxonomic remarks, or by less formal lists of fossil names.

In the latter form, GSC paleontologists or outside consultants may provide lists of fossil names and scientific interpretations, usually in the form of unpublished Fossil Reports, which subsequently may be included in the reports of other GSC scientists. If they are so included, the paleontologist who identified the fossils should be named in the text, as he or she is responsible for the accuracy of the lists, as well as any opinions on age and correlation that might be derived from the fossil identifications. Also, before a manuscript that incorporates a paleontologist's data and interpretations is submitted to the scientific editor, the paleontologist must be given an opportunity to check and update, if necessary, the relevant sections. A preamble to every Fossil Report is a reminder to users of the data that this is a condition that must be met. If the paleontologist's contribution is substantial, it should be included as an appendix under his or her authorship. In addition, the GSC locality numbers of the fossil occurrences must be cited in the text. Before publication, the accuracy and completeness of the curatorial data should be checked by a curator appointed by the Chief Paleontologist.