Sourcing data using Freedom of Information requests

Image: Project Freeman

For a project at City we had to use the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to unearth non-public data for a story.

I was first introduced to FOI while researching a story about hospital car parking rates on work experience at The Independent. It struck me as a brilliant way to discover many possible leads for insightful investigations.

Since then I have sought information on the re-housing of London’s domestic abuse victims to produce this story for my FOI project (also posted on HMIWelfare here) and requested data from UK police forces on costs they incurred for the Olympic torch relay (more on this to come).

While FOI requests can lead  to great stories, they can only do so if used effectively. I have made several mistakes while getting to grips with this way of sourcing data, so here are some tips both to help others starting out and for my own record.

• Using the correct wording in your request is of paramount importance. If you fail to word things correctly, it can lead to confusion- cut multiple back-and-forth emails with the FOI officer. Before submitting the request, do some thorough research and learn to understand any jargon.

• Twitter is now a valid way of making requests, so long as you provide contact details. See what Monmouthshire County Council have to say about the best way of doing this here.

• Keep a copy of the legislation with you while making your request. Referring to it directly will make your request seem more authoritative.

Image: Monmouthshire County Council.

• Ask for your data as a delimited text file or in a format of something you can edit, like Excel. This will save you huge amounts of time, enabling you to get cracking straight with cleaning up the data.

• Remember that it’s the formal legal duty of the FOI officer to help you draft your request (duty to advise and assist) so make the most of this when needed. There’s no harm in asking them to transfer your request to another public body if necessary.

• Ask for confirmation in writing that they have received your request and make a note of when their response is due (within 20 working days).

• The deal regarding a clarification request is that the clock is paused until you reply, so check your emails to make sure you don’t miss any that appear!

• If you have sent out many FOI requests, add relevant tags to your emails so you can easily keep track of replies as they come in e.g. ‘domestic abuse’, ‘torch relay’.

• If the information you are requesting is held by a contractor, it is the responsibility of the public body to provide you with it. This is made very clear in the legislation and doesn’t let them off the hook.

• If you need to appeal against a refusal, try and find some precedence that supports your case. If the FOI officer can see they are likely to fail, they are more likely to fold, saving you time and effort.