Summary: spelling and punctuation
[[Image:Confidential.jpg|630px|thumb|left|You have the right to get your hands dirty. Photo by Jeremy Keith/[http://www.flickr.com/photos/adactio/2018086675/ flickr]/CC]]
Super sleuths, take note: The federal government's secret paperwork is at your fingertips. Well, at least some of it.
Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), any old schmo can request previously unreleased documents from several agencies within federal and state goverments, including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State. Plenty of fodder, including e-mails, photos, budgets and congressional reports, are up for grabs.
Of course, the government's not exactly itching to share its secrets. Because of that, it can take a carefully plotted approach to get the intel you're after.
==Put The Internet To Work==
If you've never filed a Freedom of Information Act Request (FOIA), the process can seem intimidating. So if you can, skip it entirely. Most federal agencies maintain searchable databases that collect previously requested documents, and the [https://www.eff.org/issues/foia Electronic Freedom Foundation] runs a FOIA project that makes frequent requests, and then publishes them. The Foundation even accepts suggestions for future docs to demand from the feds.
And if there's a specific agency you're interested in tracking, you can often subscribe to their electronic FOIA �[http://www.dod.gov/pubs/foi/rdroom.html reading room]� to get monthly e-mails about new documents that have been released.
==Play By The Rules==
Sure, FOIA requests can offer up heaps of helpful info. You can even [http://www.getmyfbifile.com/ FOIA the feds] for their intel on you. But before you waste your time, find out if the documents you want are even accessible.
There are nine broad [http://www.sec.gov/foia/nfoia.htm exemptions] under which your request can be denied. Some, like relevance to national security, are obvious. Others, like documents designated �drafts� or those with sensitive information on, um, oil wells, might be surprising.
Different agencies also have different regulations for how requests should be submitted (e-mail, fax, paper mail), so check online before you send.
And don't forget: Valuable intel doesn't come free! FOIA fees vary, but expect to pay 10 to 20 cents per page after the first 100, as well as hourly fees for the officer(s) doing the hunting.
That said, there are loopholes: Reporters and educational or scientific institutions can waive most fees, as can those who justify that their FOIA �is in the public interest.� If you fit one of those categories, include the information in your request.
==Strive For Specificity==
The toughest part of a successful FOIA comes down to wording, so study syntax before you write. And assume the agent who receives your request knows nothing about the subject matter you're interested in, or its affiliated documents:
* Name each document as specifically as possible, including publication dates and full names, and include any information that might make the agent's search easier (such as documents that refer to the paperwork you're after).
* Specifically request that the agency search their paper and electronic files, and return the documents electronically, if possible. This makes searching way easier.
* Get your request to the federal agency most likely to have the documents in question. Calling the government's main FOIA hotline can help you figure out where to send your request.
* If you're not confident in your own writing abilities, let the experts do it for you. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has a great [http://www.rcfp.org/node/36485 FOIA request generator], and the National Freedom of Information Coalition has a list of [http://www.nfoic.org/sample-foia-letters templates] you can nab for your own letter.
==Follow The Feds==
FOIA officers have 20 days to acknowledge your request. If you don't hear from them, follow up immediately, preferably by phone. Get the officer's contact information, and keep connecting with the same officer, if possible, until you get your info or an official statement denying your request.
The FOIA process requires patience (agents need to acknowledge a request within 20 days, but it can take months for them to send out the documents). Once you get your docs, get crackin'! If not, the denial is likely based on one of the following:
* '''No documents "matched" your request:''' Call that helpful officer you got to know over the past four months, and ask what additional info they need from you to help find the documents.
* '''Some/all documents are "withheld" by the agency:''' Again, give them a ring to find out which of the nine exemptions your request fell under. If you aren't satisfied with the response, consider [http://www.foiadvocates.com/samples/3.html filing an appeal] (yes, more paperwork) to get what you want.
<br clear="all" />
''Original article by Katie Drummond, Wired.com.''
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Security]]
[[Category:Government]]
Super sleuths, take note: The federal government's secret paperwork is at your fingertips. Well, at least some of it.
Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), any old schmo can request previously unreleased documents from several agencies within federal and state goverments, including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State. Plenty of fodder, including e-mails, photos, budgets and congressional reports, are up for grabs.
Of course, the government's not exactly itching to share its secrets. Because of that, it can take a carefully plotted approach to get the intel you're after.
==Put The Internet To Work==
If you've never filed a Freedom of Information Act Request (FOIA), the process can seem intimidating. So if you can, skip it entirely. Most federal agencies maintain searchable databases that collect previously requested documents, and the [https://www.eff.org/issues/foia Electronic Freedom Foundation] runs a FOIA project that makes frequent requests, and then publishes them. The Foundation even accepts suggestions for future docs to demand from the feds.
And if there's a specific agency you're interested in tracking, you can often subscribe to their electronic FOIA �[http://www.dod.gov/pubs/foi/rdroom.html reading room]� to get monthly e-mails about new documents that have been released.
==Play By The Rules==
Sure, FOIA requests can offer up heaps of helpful info. You can even [http://www.getmyfbifile.com/ FOIA the feds] for their intel on you. But before you waste your time, find out if the documents you want are even accessible.
There are nine broad [http://www.sec.gov/foia/nfoia.htm exemptions] under which your request can be denied. Some, like relevance to national security, are obvious. Others, like documents designated �drafts� or those with sensitive information on, um, oil wells, might be surprising.
Different agencies also have different regulations for how requests should be submitted (e-mail, fax, paper mail), so check online before you send.
And don't forget: Valuable intel doesn't come free! FOIA fees vary, but expect to pay 10 to 20 cents per page after the first 100, as well as hourly fees for the officer(s) doing the hunting.
That said, there are loopholes: Reporters and educational or scientific institutions can waive most fees, as can those who justify that their FOIA �is in the public interest.� If you fit one of those categories, include the information in your request.
==Strive For Specificity==
The toughest part of a successful FOIA comes down to wording, so study syntax before you write. And assume the agent who receives your request knows nothing about the subject matter you're interested in, or its affiliated documents:
* Name each document as specifically as possible, including publication dates and full names, and include any information that might make the agent's search easier (such as documents that refer to the paperwork you're after).
* Specifically request that the agency search their paper and electronic files, and return the documents electronically, if possible. This makes searching way easier.
* Get your request to the federal agency most likely to have the documents in question. Calling the government's main FOIA hotline can help you figure out where to send your request.
* If you're not confident in your own writing abilities, let the experts do it for you. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has a great [http://www.rcfp.org/node/36485 FOIA request generator], and the National Freedom of Information Coalition has a list of [http://www.nfoic.org/sample-foia-letters templates] you can nab for your own letter.
==Follow The Feds==
FOIA officers have 20 days to acknowledge your request. If you don't hear from them, follow up immediately, preferably by phone. Get the officer's contact information, and keep connecting with the same officer, if possible, until you get your info or an official statement denying your request.
The FOIA process requires patience (agents need to acknowledge a request within 20 days, but it can take months for them to send out the documents). Once you get your docs, get crackin'! If not, the denial is likely based on one of the following:
* '''No documents "matched" your request:''' Call that helpful officer you got to know over the past four months, and ask what additional info they need from you to help find the documents.
* '''Some/all documents are "withheld" by the agency:''' Again, give them a ring to find out which of the nine exemptions your request fell under. If you aren't satisfied with the response, consider [http://www.foiadvocates.com/samples/3.html filing an appeal] (yes, more paperwork) to get what you want.
<br clear="all" />
''Original article by Katie Drummond, Wired.com.''
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Security]]
[[Category:Government]]
Source: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/howtowiki/~3/TcE_P-nKgwo/FOIA_a_Document
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