Pfizer has announced it will soon report payments totaling $500 or more to healthcare providers, clinical trial investigators and institutions where clinical trials take place.

Following a recent court ruling by the Sacramento Third District Court of Appeal, coroner reports related to criminal investigations are no longer released as public records.

The decision to place a loved one in a nursing home or assisted living facility is never easy. With more than 17,000 nursing home facilities and 33,000 assisted living facilities operating in the United States, picking the right facility could seem like an impossible task. However, public records can provide the information you need to make a well-informed decision.

Client lists, client contact information and how much a person owes their creditors are typically held privately. The bankruptcy case related to Bernard Madoff's firm, however, provides a good example of how once private records become public in bankruptcy proceedings.

The California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) recently released mortality rates for eight different procedures treated by 400 hospitals throughout California. Compiled for public review for the first time, prospective patients can review the death rates when picking a hospital for treatment.

In their recent book, Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and attorney Bryan A. Garner advise that in preparing for a trial, conducting public records research on its participants can be invaluable to winning the case.

On his first full day in office, President Barack Obama ordered an increase in government transparency by expanding the interpretation of the Freedom of Information Act. To obtain many types of public records, a written request must be submitted to the controlling agency. However, rules for granting or restricting access to the requested record will now resemble those in place before the Bush administration.

Buying a house is a daunting project, so choosing a qualified realtor is an important step in the process. With the housing market declining, realtors may be more likely to take advantage of naïve house-hunters. Word of mouth is a good way to begin the process of finding a reliable realtor, but following up with public records and online information is necessary.

The web site FlightAware releases information about aircraft whereabouts or registration status, eliminating the need for lengthy freedom of information requests through the Federal Aviation Administration.

Buying a house is a big decision financially and thus many different variables must be taken into consideration to ensure a wise choice. Fortunately, many resources for looking into your prospective neighborhood are readily available online and in public records.

Budget Travel blogger Sam O’Neil recently demonstrated how you can obtain your own foreign travel record with a simple FOIA request.

Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal published an article discussing how patent research can be used to disclose potential conflicts of interest.