The internet is full of information, but sometimes what you're looking for needs a different approach. Whether you're looking for public records, family trees, or really old archives, it's time to do some offline digging like an old-school journalist. Here's how to get started.
Make no mistake: the Internet is a researcher's dream. Whether you're looking for scientific information, busting controversies, or just trying to beef up your own arguments, the net is vast and infinite. However, there are some things that just haven't gone digital yet.
The Information You Won't Find on the Web
Like we said, the Internet a good starting point, especially if all you need is general, easily-accessible knowledge on a topic. However, if you really want to learn the details on a topic, like local history, how your city was founded, who lived where you do today, or even what your community looked like a decade ago—or even a century ago—you need more detailed, specific resources.
Perhaps you're interested in genealogy, and want to map out your family tree. Maybe you're adopted and searching for your biological parents. Maybe your family immigrated from afar and you'd like to know where they came from, or, like me, you have no idea where your family line goes past the murky historical waters of slavery. The Internet may help, but it won't be a complete resource by any means.
These limitations aren't restricted to things like history, either. Perhaps you're interested in civic activism, and want to collect data from government agencies on things like traffic tickets and red light cameras. Maybe you want to pull voting records and help people get registered to vote. Alternatively, maybe you're just a property owner who's tired of high property taxes, and want to know why the city keeps changing the way they calculate them. In every case, If you're eager to learn more, sift through official records, or talk to people whose opinions matter, it's time to expand your search. Times like this, we can take a lesson from pre-Internet journalists and start running down primary sources, checking references, and talking to people. Put your newsie cap on.
Start at Your Local Library, and Talk to a Reference Librarian
If we're eschewing the Internet—or rather, we've exhausted all of the decent sources the Internet has for us—the next logical step is your library. If you have access to a University, presidential, or other major library, head there. University libraries often have access to massive databases and archives (like EBSCO or ProQuest that smaller local libraries may not, and they're worth using.
Before you start digging on your own, make an appointment to talk to a reference librarian. After all, they're there to help and can get your research started on the right foot. Many will even do some of the legwork for you. If you're looking to dig through old periodicals or (heaven forbid) microfiche, they can help you find your away around the stacks, pull out the documents most likely to have useful information, and help you combine all of that information into something useful.
We should note that a reference librarian isn't about to do your work for you. How far they're willing to go will depend on what you need, how busy they are, and the type of library they work in. Regardless, talking to a librarian should be your first step.
Contact the Library of Congress and National Archives
When you've exhausted the resources at your local library, it's time to go bigger. Reach out to the Library of Congress and the National Archives. You don't have to be in Washington DC to make great use of them (although that helps).
The Library of Congress' Ask a Librarian service has a ton of information on their site, but can also put you in touch with a reference librarian. Some reference sections come even feature online chat, where you can relay your request to someone who can help. If not, you can always use their request form. You'll get a response in a few business days. If what you're looking for is a bit much for email, you can call or send a paper letter requesting the information you need. The National Archives has locations around the country, and also has a guide to online and remote research that can lead you to information you'd never find on Google.
Remember that just because the LoC and the Archives have online "reference desks" doesn't mean all of their information is available online. Much of it is only available in person, or you can have copies made and sent to you. Make sure to plan for the time it may take to get those documents. Also remember that in some cases, reference material may only be released to other reference librarians, so you'll have to source them through a library in your community.
Petition Government Agencies or File FOIA Requests
Sometimes the best option is to go directly to the people with the information you need and ask for a copy. That's easier in some cases than others. If you're interested in the founding and history of your town, marching down to city hall and asking your local archivist or city historian is easy. If you're trying to keep track of how many people die each year in police-related shootings, you may find few people eager to help, and others that either don't have the data to help or aren't allowed to share it. That can make things pretty difficult, regardless of whether your interests are conventional or contentious.
In these situations, you have a few options. First, you can always write and ask the government agency with the records you're looking for. We've discussed how to contact government offices and officials before, and some of those tricks work if you're trying to dig up information. Make absolutely sure that you're working with the right agency to handle your inquiries. Formal letters (of which you should keep copies, for the inevitable "can you send it again" response), sent by certified mail with return receipt, will help you make sure no one can say they "didn't get" the information you sent. Calling ahead to make sure you send the right forms and the right information also help, so you don't waste your time writing up a letter and paying for postage, only to get a response that says "Sorry, please send form A449-B in triplicate to expedite your request." Worst case, you can always go in person and talk to someone yourself.
Second, if you think getting the information you need might be difficult, file a formal petition. This is where more specific letters, drafted and sent to multiple officials, come in. If you don't get, for example, traffic accident data, from a bureaucrat in your local transportation department, petition your state transportation authority and let them know you got nowhere with the local office. If that doesn't work, petition department heads directly, or ask legislative representatives that sit on the transportation committee or oversight board. Don't be afraid to work your way up the chain.
Finally, there may be a point where you have to bring out the big guns, like filing a request under the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA). The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a great guide to this process, as does Public Citizen and the National Security Archive. Of course, filing a FOIA request doesn't mean it'll get answered, but it does help, and it starts a paper trail you can follow up on. Plus, you may have to do it even for records that should be easy to get, like your own FBI or NSA file, both of which are normally available by request directly from the FBI or from the NSA. Even so, overstretched resources and, in some cases, purposeful obfuscation make it difficult to get even "open" records in a timely manner, so these formal tools can help. Again, don't hesitate to back up your paperwork with phone calls, or visits to a local office or branch to see what you can turn up. Of course, be professional in all cases.
Go Old School and Conduct Interviews
Speaking of the importance of professional behavior, don't underestimate how useful a good, old-fashioned interview can be. Of course, everyone's busy, so finding time to chat with an official, meet with a government representative, or even spend a few minutes on the phone with someone you admire can be difficult. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try. One of the best tools in the old school journalist's arsenal was the in-person interview, and of course, having intelligent, inspiring questions ready helped them answer the questions they (and everyone else) really had.
When you ask, make sure you explain what it is you want to discuss. Make your ask small and be precise about what you need. Let the other person know you're flexible on when you can chat, and offer to meet them, come to their office, or work with their busy schedule. After all, you're the one asking for a favor, so you should be ready to be flexible. In short, make it easy for them to say yes. Once you're in, you can ask all of the questions you want answered.
When you're all finished, follow up thanking the person for their time, especially if you got great information and may want to talk to them again. Even if the discussion was contentious, you never know when you might need their help again.
Digitize Your Work and Contribute to the Greater Good
Finally, once you've done all of this digging, visited government agencies, libraries, and the offices of the people with the knowledge you need, don't lose it. Archive everything. Digitize those notes and the recordings of your interviews. Make copies of any material you've gotten your hands on, then scan them and archive them safely. Keep that stuff backed up.
Part of the reason this is important is to make sure you have it all in a safe place. You don't want to go through all of it again if you don't have to. However, the bigger, and perhaps more important reason to digitize it all is to make it available to others. We've mentioned before that the responsibility of creating an awesome Internet is on all of us to contribute and add to the gestalt. Passively not being a jerk on the internet is a good first step, but making things, contributing useful information, and helping others who need the same information we have is a dozen times better—and more empowering.
Title photo by Everett Collection (Shutterstock), JMicic (Shutterstock), and Tinatin (Shutterstock). Additional photos by Alexander Baxevanis, Ellen Forsyth, Eric Chan, Aude, nuggety247, and Ted.
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