Using Freedom of Information Laws to Enhance Academic Research

Abstract

The Department of Research and Academic Engagement at Drug Policy Alliance is excited to host Gavin Rozzi for our upcoming webinar. Freedom of information laws are often used by journalists to uncover documents, data & information at the state and federal levels, but they’re a powerful and often under-utilized tool for researchers studying public administration. This webinar will provide a high-level overview of the freedom of information request process at the federal & local level along with examples of best practices for obtaining research data using FOIA laws. Examples of the research potential of FOIA data & along with commonly encountered challenges will be covered. Basic data science concepts will also be introduced, including recommended workflows for processing & cleaning data obtained from the government.

Gavin Rozzi

Pushing the boundaries of data, technology & public policy

Gavin Rozzi is a data scientist from New Jersey with expertise in leveraging public sector datasets, spatial data & mapping and emerging technologies to inform public policy development.