Tools & Sources
Tools & Sources
A practical reference for investigators working within the methodology. Where Phase Two work actually happens.
Declassified & archival
- NARA — National Archives and Records AdministrationIncluding IWG records, immigration files, wartime records.
- The Church Committee recordU.S. Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations, 1975 — the foundational congressional investigative record.
- FBI VaultFBI’s electronic FOIA reading room.
- CIA FOIA Reading RoomCIA’s electronic reading room of declassified records.
Public records — financial & corporate
- SEC EDGARPublic company filings: 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, proxy statements, beneficial ownership.
- FEC — Federal Election CommissionFederal campaign finance disclosure.
- OpenSecretsLobbying and campaign-finance analysis layered on top of primary FEC and LDA data.
- Lobbying Disclosure Act databaseFederal lobbying registrations and quarterly reports.
Public records — government conduct
- Congress.govVoting records, bill sponsorship, hearing testimony, committee reports.
- Inspector General reportsIndex of federal Inspector General offices and their published reports.
- PACERFederal court records — docket access for U.S. district, bankruptcy, and appellate courts.
- USASpending.govFederal contracts and grants.
FOIA
- FOIA.govSubmit and track Freedom of Information Act requests across federal agencies.
- MuckRockCollaborative FOIA platform — helps draft, file, track, and host released documents.
Investigative journalism resources
- IRE — Investigative Reporters and EditorsTipsheets, training, and the NICAR data library.
- OCCRP — Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting ProjectCross-border investigative reporting and the Aleph data tool.
- ProPublica Data StoreCurated datasets, including IRS Form 990 nonprofit filings and federal contractor data.