Yesterday, The New York Times ran a piece discussing the decision by Henry Holt & Company to stop printing and selling The Last Train from Hiroshima. Publishers have consistently claimed that fact checking book-length works is too cumbersome and that ultimately authors are responsible for the content of their work. Regardless of how the book publishing industry opts to come to terms with fact checking challenges, the Times piece contained a good rule of thumb for public records researchers.

While disclosure is voluntary at the federal level, there is some early momentum among legislators to provide their daily appointment calendars on their websites.

The East Valley Tribune in Mesa, Arizona, received a Pulitzer prize for its investigation of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO). The Tribune spent several months submitting public records requests related to MCSO operations and conducting interviews to learn more about the efficacy of Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s high publicized illegal immigration enforcement program. The project provides an interesting case study on how to use law enforcement agency statistics to understand department trends and priorities.

In preparing for an upcoming trial, it is crucial to know the background of any expert witness you are going to cross-examine. Reviewing their previous work and past statements will provide insight into any biases they may possess, and give you the foresight necessary for a stronger case.

Despite the ready availability of public records that could help publishers perform simple fact checks on the manuscripts and personalities they handle, few do - making literary and media deception fairly simple to pull off.

In the coming weeks and months, individuals will be nominated by the Obama White House to serve in various federal agencies and judicial positions. Here we provide an overview of the federal nomination and confirmation process and the role that public records play in the success or failure of nominees.

When records are retired they are usually sent to an off site archive for storage. Archival research is an important part of any complete research plan and can lead to important data.

This case study should put to rest any lingering doubts about whether we can learn more from failure or success, at least as the lesson relates to preparing and delivering expert studies. For more on our analysis of why a study purporting to demonstrate the economic costs of unwed mothers failed to garner significant media and public attention read here.