Internet Research Links
Updated January 2015 |
JOURNALIST SPECIFIC TOOLS
Reporter's Desktop - Handy Search Launchpad
Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Resource Center - Online Companion to the Investagative Reporter's Handbook
Journalist's Toolkit - from Mediachannel.org
FIND BOOKS, JOURNALS & ARTICLES
BuffaloState Butler Library "Summon" Search - Similtaniously Searches Multiple Academic Databases. Access to materials behind subscription paywalls requires Buffalo State login.
Library of Congress
Google Scholar Search - Online Journals. Find citations here, then search your home library databases or interlibrary loan if full text is not available.
Google Book Search - Search Within Text of Scanned Books. Find complete books via interlibrary loan.
Newspaper Archives by State - Find articles by nespaper. (from UNC)
Lexus/Nexus - BSC Students and Faculty Login Here
ONLINE DATABASES
The Invisible Web - Comprehensive Searchable Listing of Searchable Databases
NICAR - National Inst for Computer Assisted Reporting Database Library
IRE Database Library - ($) Descriptions of Govmt. databases digitized by IRE and available for purchase.
Search Google for Spreadsheets - Use this link and Specify .xls under "file type."
ONLINE ARCHIVES
Archive.org - The Internet's Not-for-Profit Library
WayBack Machine - Archive.org's Historic Snapshots of the Internet. Go Back in Time & Look for Revisionism
ibiblio.org - "a conservancy of freely available information, including software, music, literature, art, history, science, politics, and cultural studies from The Univ. of N. Carolina.
TV News Archive - Searchable Archived TV News Programs by Subject etc. (very incomplete)
Newspaper Archives by State - Find articles by nespaper. (from UNC)
US GOVERNMENT INFO
Federal Open Government Guide - From Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Fed World - Gateway to Government Publications (also see Library of Congress)
GAO - Government Accountability Office. Online Reports, Investigations etc. [ Publications]
First Gov - Search US Government Datbases
US Tax Court Records -- For For IRS Liens by Name
Pacer - U.S. District,
Bankruptcy, and Appellate court records (small fee)
OSHA - Occupational Safety and Health Administration / Databases and Info
Government Accountability Project - Not-for-Profit Whistleblower Defense Organization - Info by Subject / Industry
Center for Responsive Politics - Homepage
Sunlight Foundation - Dedicated to Transparancy in Government
Open Congress - Congressional Voting Records etc.
Congresspedia - a Wiki on Congress (Wiki Warning!)
US GOVERNMENT / ENVIRONMENTAL INFO
Right to Know Network -- Protecting and Providing Access to Envionmental Databases
EPA Toxic Release Inventory Program -- From the US Environmental Protection Agency
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
FOIA Guide - From Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
National Freedom of Information Coalition - Info on How to Use FOIA and Sunshine Laws
FOIA Information - from Reporters' Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP)
FOIA Letter Generator (Federal) from RCFP - Too EZ. Be sure to edit.
Brechner Center - Guide to Using FOIA and Sunshine Laws
Center for Public Integrity - FOIA info
Department of Justice FOIA Info Site
LOCAL GOVERNMENT RECORDS
Master Directory -- Compresensive Directory of Local and STate Government Websites.
State Open Government Guide - From Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Gov Engine - Similar to Above
Public Records Directory - ($) From Search Systems. Subscription Fee for Full Access or Locate What Directories are Availalbe for Free (then find from original source).
Public Records Finder - Links to Sources (fee & free) for Finding Public Records
New York State GOVERNMENT RECORDS
Gov Engine NY - Directory of State Databases
New York Open Government Guide - From Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
NY Court Info
NY Laws
Professional Licenses
Disciplinary Actions - Against Licenses Professionals
Education Department
Teachers' Certificates - Search by Name fopr Current Status
Attorney Search
Housing Court -- Limited to NYC and Buffalo - Search by Name
Civil Court Cases -- Search by Name (limited to NYC, Auburn, Geneva and Canandaigua)
NYS Supreme Court Cases - All 64 Counties
Pending Criminal Cases - Limited to NYC and burbs, Buffalo/Erie Co
Family Court - Including Domestic Violence - Search by Names - All 64 Counties
Sex Offender Locator
Unified Court Case Search
Buffalo, NY GOVERNMENT RECORDS
Erie County Clerk's Office - Online Data
Erie County Government -
Niagara County Government
City of Buffalo Property Information
Citystat
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
Center for Responsive Politics - Election Finance Databases
Federal Election Commission
Center for Public Integrity - Campaign and Issue Finance Database
Maplight - Mapping the Money in Politics
State by State - Guide to Local Boards of Election
"FREE TRADE" & GLOBALIZATION
TradeWatch - Database and Info on FTAA, NAFTA, TAFTA, TPP and Fast Track. From Public Citizen.
International Forum on Globalization - 60 Organizations form 20 Countries. Scholarly Analysis of Global Economy
CORPORATIONS
National Mobilization Against Sweatshops - Research, Info. Names names.
Multinational Resource Center - Database for journalists and students tracking corporations.
Corp Political Contributions - Track Political Contributions and Lobbying Expenses for Major Corporations. Excellent Resource
Ctr. For Public Integrity - Database of Corporate Funding of Polticos
They Rule - Database Mapping Connections Between Corporations
Corporate Watch - Research Trans-National Corporate Activity - also see Multinational Monitor (above)
Paywatch - In 1999 the average CEO made 475x average worker's salary, up from 42x in 1980! Stats Here.
Council on Economic Priorities - Analysis of Social and Environmental Performance of Corporations.
AFL-CIO Corporate Research Page - Resources
Sweatshop Info - Products and Companies
Boycott Action News - Latest Info on Major Boycotts from Co-op America
Center for Responsive Politics - Lobbying Directory
Toll-Free Phone Directory
WIKIS - (interactive evolving group sourced databases)
Little Sis - Keeping tabs on the one percent. Who's connected to who, how, etc. Background people and organizations. A project of the Public Accoutability Inititative.
LOCATING NEWS MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS & LIBRARIES
NewsLink - Find Local Newspapers, Magazines and Broadcast Outlets by Geographic Locale
Specialized Information Publishers Association - Find Trade Publications by Industry
LIST SERVES AND BLOGS
Finding List Serves - Search by Subject or Region etc. From L-Soft.
Google Blog Search
Google Group Search
Technorati Blog Search
Vlogs - Browse Video Blogs
LOCATING (& BACKGROUNDING) PEOPLE
411.com - Phone Directory, Reverse Phone Directory etc. Or try Switchboard.com.
Ancestry.com - ($) fee based. Will Provide or Confirm Basic Info for Free
Death Records
Little Sis - Keeping tabs on the powerful. Who's connected to who, how, etc. See WIKIS above.
DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
US Census Bureau
Bureau of Economic Analysis - Economic Data by US Region
CIA Factbook - World Data From the US Government
Claritas Corp ($) - Typologies. Some Free, Some Fee.
Rand Corp. ($) - Economic / Social Data. Fee
Nationmaster.com - Much like the CIA Factbook, but includes additional information, also easier to compare countries.
IMAGES
Archive.com Moving Image Library - Fun.
Google Image Search
Search Youtube - advanced
PRISONS
Find Federal Prisonors
Find NYS Prisonors
ETHICS!
Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics
Radio and Television News Directors Assocation Code of Ethics
Assocated Press Managing Editors Statement on Ethics
RUMOR CONTROL
YOUR RIGHTS
Your Right to take Photographs in public places - A pdf format one page outline of your rights.
The War on Photographers - Popular Photography Article.
Freedom of the Press - From the First Amendment Center.
Freedom of Speech - From the First Amendment Center
Academic Freedom - From Illinios State Univ. Ph.D. Candidate John Wilsom
MISC
Donate
to Support Organizations Providing Open Government Resources
(mediastudy.com does not solicit funding and receives no commission on donations to the organizations recommended below)
Donate to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Donate to the Center for Public Integrity
Donate to the Center for Responsive Politics
Donate to the National Freedom of Information Coalition
©2015 Michael I. Niman / mediastudy.com