The Office of Information Policy (OIP) at the Department of Justice recently improved the FOIA.gov Search Tool. Launched in October 2023, the upgrades are expected to improve the results and sources the Search Tool delivers. The tool guides users through the process of locating already public information or identifying the correct federal agency to submit a FOIA request.
Since its launch, users have submitted nearly 200,000 common topic or custom query searches. In response, the Search Tool recommends federal agencies likely to have responsive records and directs users to materials already posted on agencies’ websites. Previously, the Search Tool generated results based on agency mission statements, FOIA logs, and the titles of frequently requested records posted on agency websites.
The improvements are possible because of advancements in machine learning, a field of artificial intelligence (AI) that enables computers to improve performance and accuracy through experience and exposure to more data. After taking in over 40,000 documents from over 3,500 publicly available agency FOIA libraries using a new data ingestion tool, the improved Search Tool delivers results based on the complete contents of published documents, in addition to already existing agency mission statements and FOIA logs. This improves the accuracy of both the agencies the tool recommends and the documents it suggests.
OIP plans to update the FOIA Search Tool quarterly with newly published material from agency FOIA libraries to keep the results current. To learn more about the Search Tool and to provide suggestions, visit the How it Works page.
You must be logged in to post a comment.