MAKE QUALITY EDUCATION

The FOIA has definitely risen in popularity since its inception. A large reason for this is that the FOIA can help people access so many different kinds of information. But ironically, although the FOIA aims to make information easier to attain, it can often lead to lots of confusion. Many people may not understand the FOIA, how it works, or what kind of information they can and can't access through this interesting piece of legislation.

The FOIA, or Freedom of Information Act, is a law that was enacted to make it easier for people to access information from the government. Basically, the FOIA entitles average citizens to request and receive non-classified information from the government. Generally, this refers to public documents and government records of all varieties. This means that ordinary citizens can request information about government in lots of different situations. To send an FOIA request, you should visit the website of the government office that should have the record or information you need. They should have information about FOIA requests, and if not, you can always find a way to contact them and ask a question.

But some kinds of information can't be found through FOIA requests, and it's often hard to figure out which you will be able to locate. Moreover, waiting for FOIA requests to be returned can often take months or even longer. That's why many researchers choose to use public records searches in conjunction with FOIA requests. Public records searches are great counterparts to the FOIA, in that they allow users to search for a vast variety of public records, and only take a few seconds to complete.

That means that when you need to locate public records, it's probably not a bad idea to start with a public records search to see what you can learn instantly. Then, you can proceed to making an FOIA request to help deepen and expand your knowledge.

Rick Evin is an enthusiast of genealogy research. He specializes in researching and writing about public records on the internet. Check out http://recordsproject.com

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