Getting started
Before you start writing a request, you want to do a little brainstorming.
Think about these things:
When you write a FOIA request, it helps to think like a federal agency. In other words, ask yourself: If I had to find this record, where might it be, what might it be called, what information will I need to find it?
Now you can consider which agency might be the one that has the information you need.
Think about these things:
- What are the essential questions you need to answer?
- What kind of information would help answer those questions?
- What government agency might collect and/or keep that information?
- What format might this information be in, reports, databases, files?
- What sort of strategy do you need to locate these documents?
When you write a FOIA request, it helps to think like a federal agency. In other words, ask yourself: If I had to find this record, where might it be, what might it be called, what information will I need to find it?
Now you can consider which agency might be the one that has the information you need.
“When in doubt, ask for the record.
It is up to the agency to prove it is secret, not for you to prove it is public”
It is up to the agency to prove it is secret, not for you to prove it is public”
- Washington Coalition for Open Government
(WCOG, 2010, para 16
(WCOG, 2010, para 16
