FOIA Request tutorial thread

[Michael Clark]

What does a good FOIA request, that will likely get you what you are looking-for, look like? Likewise, what does a bad or ineffective FOIA request look like?

[David Boylan]

Here's an example by Mark Zaid along with a response:

http://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/jfk/NARA-Oct2017/docid-32404162.pdf

[Michael Clark]

12 hours ago, David Boylan said:

Here's an example by Mark Zaid along with a response:

http://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/jfk/NARA-Oct2017/docid-32404162.pdf

Thanks David, That's interesting. The petitioner says: "Give me everything you've got, and I'm not paying a red cent for it". 😎

[Michael Clark]

Can any reaearhers comment from their experience on a few questions about a document that I will post, as an example....

https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/2018/docid-32303569.pdf

P. 11 and. 12 (PDF) 59 and 60 (typed) are missing from this document.

questions....

- would the archives be responsive to an inquiry as to whether the missing pages exist in their collection?

- would the archives be responsive to an inquiry as to whether the missing pages exist anywhere?

- would the archives be responsive to an inquiry as to why the pages are missing?

- would the archives be responsive to request to provide the missing pages?

 

Thoughts?

 

[Eddy Bainbridge]

I live in the UK and there is a piece of Freedom of Information requests I would like to clarify. In the UK we have had cases where the debate has been over whether the body requested to provide information is in fact a 'public' body to which the law applies. If this avenue of challenge is open in the USA are there any supposedly non-public bodies that FOIA requests about the assassination could be made? For example : Is a body that holds public records a public body?