posted on May, 12 2007 @ 04:40 PM
Conspiracy fiction of the type that I am known for relies on its use of verifiable facts to make the reader "believe." In the United States,
researchers, investigators, and prospective authors wishing to glean information from official government sources should be aware of the 1966 Freedom
of Inforation Act. This law requires most Federal agencies to provide copies of certain official documents to any legal U.S. citizen who asks for
them in writing.
The exact language of this law can be found in 47 CFR Section 66 of the United States Judicial Code. You can find this in text format at your local
library, or online by web search. Bear in mind that some Federal agencies are not required to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request.
That's because Congress has authorized them to classify all of what they do as secret. These inaccessible offices tend to be involved in
surveillance or espionage that is directly associated with efforts to maintain national security.
Under the terms of this law, all Federal agencies that must asnwer FOIA requests do have the authority to restrict access to any documentation that
they consider to be sensetive. The law requires them to give you access to anything that may be useful in litigation, or a court case of some kind.
If you can't justify your information request by those standards, they don't have to fulfill them. This is a necessary protection for Federal
employees, who may be called on to testify in a court case. It prevents them from accidentally incriminating themselves, and it prevents you from
stumbling on to something they think you shouldn't have seen in the first place.
Information requests are not limited to hard copy documents. They can some times involve asking for copies of computer files. In some cases, you may
need to conduct an interview of a specific government employee. Requests for interview are handled in the same way as you would file a Freedom of
Information Act request.
Researchers are advised to deal with government agneices one at a time. You should be prepared to file similar or duplicate requests with each
sub-agency or bureau within any given Federal department. In some cases, your request can take the form of an open letter. In most cases, individual
agencies will have dedicated forms that they will want you to fill out and turn in. Be sure to check official web sites for online electronic filing
options.
Expect delays. Each of the Federal agencies you request information from will have their own way of doing things. You will most likley be charged a
fee for time and resources that are used to gather the items you requested. It's not unusual for some conspiracy researchers to spend thousands of
dollars on long-term projects. If you ask for a two thousand page report, you'll probably get it and a hefty bill for the cost of reproduction. For
this reason, many researchers rely on what they can borrow from others, or download at no cost from the Internet.
Before you ask any Federal agency (in writing) for copies of its documents, you would be advised to go online and check its official web site. As
computing technology and long-term data storage becomes cheaper, you will encounter more Federal agencies willing to put their non-sensitive
information (which may include some other media) in to electronic archives. These are almost always accessible to anyone for no charge.
Some researchers are not comfortable with the idea of leaving a paper trail that can allow investigators to back-track an information request to them.
For this reason, many avoid making written or electronic requests which often require a valid mailing address. In some cases, concerned researchers
have been known to use paid post office boxes that are not associated with their place of residence to fulfill the filing requirement for a lawful
mailing address.
As previously stated, the provisions in this law do not require a Federal agency to turn over copies of any and all of their documents. The truth is
that many agencies are hostile to FOIA requests, and the people tasked with turning over what you asked for may apply some very creative
interpretations to the leeway granted under the law. For this reason, you'll need to phrase your actual requests very carefully. It may be
necessary to file more than one request with an agency to get what you want. Even if you can pay for everything that you're interested in, you'll
have to contend with the rigors of bureaucracy which may prevent you from getting it.
When spelling out what you want by open letter or by electronic form, you should avoid lengthy descriptions. Don't give in to the temptation to
justify yourself. As a professional matter, none of the agency officials who process your order will be persuaded to give in to your demands because
you're trying so very hard to prove a really cool conspiracy theory.
Some researchers like to go on "fishing expeditions" to uncover new evidence that backs up their theory. In many cases, this means submitting
deliberately vague requests for information that could be interpreted by anyone to mean almost anything. Some researchers are known to put a twist on
this tactic by asking specifically for things that shouldn't exist. This may seem silly, but it's worth noting that the Federal government is under
no obligation at all to tell you what it has in its records archives.
If you can't access the official web site of a Federal agency that you'd like to get information from, try calling them by phone. Most of the
telephone numbers you will need to get started can be found in your local phone book. Ask for the agency's FOIA officer (pronounced phonetically as
foy-uh), and be prepared to write down the details they provide. Because the law requires that you submit your information request in writing, you
will not be able to place your order over the phone.
The following is a short list of book that you can get to learn more about the Freedom of Information Act. Look for these publicans online to find
the best prices. In some cases, you may be able to sit and read them at your local library. You may also find many essays online that will deal with
the finer legal details of this law.
Committee on Armed Services, U.S. House of Representatives. A Citizen's Guide On Using The Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act of 1974 to
Request Government Records. Government Printing Office, 05/04. 86 pages. ISBN 0160681278
Henry, Christopher L. Freedom of Information Act. Novinka Books, 04/03. 124 pages. ISBN 1590337204
Maida, Pamela, and Office of Information and Privacy, U.S. Department of Justice. Freedom of Information Act Guide & Privacy Act Overview. U.S.
Government Printing Office, 07/04. 1120 pages. ISBN 0160722934
Wadham, John, Jonathan Griffiths, and Richard Thomas. Blackstone's Guide to the Freedom of Information Act. Oxford University Press, 2nd ed.,
03/05. 344 pages. 0199277648