Now available … the best practical guide for anyone who wants to obtain information from public authorities …
“an invaluable guide … full of useful tips on how to make the most effective requests … essential reading for FOI requestors” - Andrew Lownie, historian
“an essential book on the topic … if you’re new to FOI you’d be silly not to read it, and even if you’re experienced in it, it will tell you things of value” - Jon Baines, Chair, National Association of Data Protection and FOI Officers
“excellent … clear, readable and straightforward … replete with concrete dos and don’ts … journalists and other requesters will find it very valuable” - Robin Hopkins, leading information rights lawyer
“a great resource on the field, helpfully organised into sections on requests, replies, appeals, and alternatives such as EIR” - Paul Bradshaw, lecturer in journalism, Birmingham City University
“lots of useful advice ... a well-written book by someone who knows their subject inside and out” - Tim Turner, information rights trainer and consultant
“suggests tactics for using FOI effectively” - The Journalist, magazine of the National Union of Journalists
Freedom of Information: A practical guidebook
by Martin Rosenbaum
PAPERBACK EDITION (260 pages)
• A thorough and accessible account of how to use the Freedom of Information Act and other access laws, written by a leading expert
• An essential practical guide for anyone who wants to obtain information from public authorities
• Clear and comprehensive explanations of your rights and how the system operates in practice, including for central government, local councils and public services
• Full of tested and detailed advice for all stages of the process, from writing effective FOI requests to understanding the exemptions and challenging refusals to supply information
• Describes a wide range of techniques and tactics for using FOI productively, based on extensive practical experience
• Includes templates for requests and sections on specific rules for environmental information, personal data and Scotland
This book will be a highly valuable resource for journalists, researchers, campaigners, charities, lawyers, businesses, academics and concerned citizens - or anyone else who wants to be better informed about the activities of government, councils and the public sector.