Feb. 27, 2023
Contact: David Cuillier, cuillier@arizona.edu
The fifth annual National Freedom of Information Coalition FOI research competition welcomes one-page proposals for papers that shed light on freedom of information.
The top three papers will earn cash prizes and will be guaranteed publication in the online Journal of Civic Information, published by the University of Florida’s Brechner Center for Freedom of Information.
Authors are invited to submit a one-page paper proposal, which will be reviewed by a panel of expert freedom of information researchers. Proposals should include a one-paragraph abstract/summary, a paragraph outlining the proposed methodology, and a paragraph explaining the relevance of the potential findings for government agencies, FOI advocates, and access practitioners (e.g., journalists, citizens, record custodians).
Proposals may encompass any research methodological approach (legal, survey, experimental, content analysis, etc.), and should provide insights of practical value for those who work day-to-day in access to government information. Topics can include anything regarding FOI, such as access to public records, court transparency, open meetings, access to public employees, open data, and other related matters. Proposals should focus on civic information at the state/local levels, but topics regarding U.S. FOIA and international access also will be considered if they have relevancy or application to state coalitions for open government (e.g., the spreading of the “Glomar response” from federal agencies to state/local agencies, or the effects of technology or policies on agency transparency in a federal agency or other country that can be applied to any government agency). Because the primary purpose of the Journal is to furnish actionable information to professionals, an article’s usefulness to a lay audience will weigh in the publication decision; we encourage authors to consider audience accessibility in decisions of presentation style and depth of treatment.
All submissions must be submitted via email by no later than 11:59 p.m. EST on THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2023. Email your one-page, single-spaced proposal as a Word file to paper competition chair Dr. David Cuillier, University of Arizona School of Journalism, cuillier@arizona.edu. Cuillier, who is founding editor of the Journal of Civic Information, will begin serving as director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project on July 3, 2023.
Those whose proposals are accepted must submit a finished paper by Aug. 1, 2023, and present their findings at the virtual NFOIC summit this fall (dates to be determined), to freedom of information practitioners from throughout the United States. First place will receive $500, second place $300 and third place $200, provided by NFOIC. The top three papers will be guaranteed publication in the online Journal of Civic Information. Graduate students are especially encouraged to submit their work. To see previous papers presented, go to https://www.nfoic.org/nfoic-sponsored-research/
The National Freedom of Information Coalition, based at the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, is a non-profit organization founded in 1989 to assist state coalitions of open government. The intent of this paper competition is to link research with those who could apply that knowledge for the betterment of government and democracy. The convening also will provide a venue for scholars to interact with practitioners to gain new insights and ideas for future research that can make a difference.