Below are the winning research papers accepted to the fifth annual National Freedom of Information Coalition FOI research competition. They will be presented online Oct. 5, 2023, during the NFOIC virtual summit.
In all, 10 one-page proposals were entered and selected through double-blind peer review for final consideration. Five complete papers were submitted for final review, rated by a team of six expert judges on importance, relevance to practitioners, and strength of methodology. Three of the papers earned cash prizes for excellence of $500, $300 and $200. Top papers are guaranteed publication in the University of Florida’s new Journal of Civic Information, which welcomes submissions from all researchers.
The five papers will be presented by their authors 12-1 p.m. (ET) on Thursday, Oct. 5, at the summit:
- Dark Clouds: Can Government Agencies Evade Public-Records Laws by Storing Documents in Privately Owned Digital Portals? By Frank LoMonte, University of Georgia (First place, $500)
- Opening the Floodgates: Assessing and Implementing Affirmative Disclosure, by Dr. A.Jay Wagner, Marquette University, and Dr. Daxton “Chip” Stewart, Texas Christian University (Second place, $300)
- Journalists’ Reflections on Using Home Addresses in Reporting, by Jodie Gil, Southern Connecticut State University (Third place, $200)
- Repeal, Replace and Expose: A Case Study and Call for Public Records Transparency with Police Records in New York, by Dr. Roy S. Gutterman, Syracuse University
- Tribal Governments Protect Free Information, Too, Sometimes: A Case Study of Oklahoma’s Indigenous Nations and Accessing Records, by Dr. Kevin R. Kemper, attorney at law, and Dr. Litzy Galarza, University of Pittsburgh.
