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Coulter Jones of the WNYC data team explains how journalists can use the FOIA Machine to track their open records requests in New Jersey. Presented at Open Data NJ, May 15, 2014 at Montclair State.
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Using FOIA Machine to open N.J. data
Coulter Jones Data Reporter / WNYC
FOIAMachine.org@coulterjones
DATA
=
DOCUMENTS
The best data is not online
What are we missing?
Is there a form or document that has to be filled out?
Who regulates and tracks the topic?
How are the bills being paid?
Who knows how many parking tickets I got?
What does the law say?
“C.47:1A-5: Times during which records may be inspected, examined, copied; access; copy fees.
...
d. A custodian shall permit access to a government record and provide a copy thereof in the medium requested if the public agency maintains the record in that medium...
What does the law say?
... If the public agency does not maintain the record in the medium requested, the custodian shall either convert the record to the medium requested or provide a copy in some other meaningful medium.”
With the exception...
What does the law say?
... “1. in a medium not routinely used by the agency;
2. not routinely developed or maintained by an agency; or
3. requiring a substantial amount of manipulation or programming of information technology” ...
With the exception...
What does the law say?
… “the agency may charge, in addition to the actual cost of duplication, a special charge that shall be reasonable and shall be based on the cost for any extensive use of information technology, or for the labor cost of personnel providing the service, that is actually incurred by the agency or attributable to the agency for the programming, clerical, and supervisory assistance required, or both.” .
In other words...
← Unless this is how they’re keeping their payroll, then...
Our solution….
foiamachine.orgFOIA Machine is an open source platform that empowers citizens and journalists to easily prepare,
file and track multiple public record requests to various level
of governments and public agencies worldwide.
Guides users through public records requests
Organizes and tracks the status throughout the request process
Improves success rate of obtaining records by building a knowledge base from a community of invested users
● 1,700+ invitations
● 300+ activated usersWNYC, CIR, Propublica, reporters in Penn., N.J., La., Mo. Calif., Del., Conn. and others
Who is using it?
For each government:statute, requests,exemptions,
Shane Shifflett Lead Developer
@shaneshifflett
We’re a team of journalists, programmers
Steven MelendezDeveloper
@smelendez
foiamachine.orgContact us...E-mailthe team = [email protected] = [email protected]
Twitterthe team = @foiamachine
me = @coulterjones
