Links to records, topical tipsheets, investigative networks, training resources for cross-border reporting.
Table of Contents
- US public records on foreign activity
- Investigative networks
- Investigative training manuals
- Security, safety and legal help
- Open source data
- People search
- Ship and plane tracking
U.S. RECORDS ON FOREIGN ACTIVITY IN THE U.S.
See the InvestigateWashington page for a fuller set of links to U.S. government records.
Foreign lobbying reports filed at US DOJ Foreign Agent Registration Unit
Open Secrets foreign lobbying reports
Legistorm (limited free search; requires subscription for deep dive)
- Foreign gifts by country or recipient
- Foreign travel by members of congress or staff: country of destination or sponsor
Congressional Research Service reports on foreign policy issues here or here
SEC – Publicly traded corporate quarterly and annual reports
Guidestar – Nonprofit organizations operating in the U.S.
Courts
- PACER – Federal prosecutions and lawsuits. Dockets, complaints, motions, orders and exhibits. Registration is free but you pay a 10 cents per page accessed. Install the RECAP extension on Chrome and Firefox and get many PACER documents for free.
- Google Scholar – Federal court opinions; for state appellate and supreme court opinions
INVESTIGATIVE NETWORKS
Global Investigative Journalism Network training, conferences, news
- Tipsheets and guides
- FOI links
- Journalism organizations by region/country
- 2019 Global IJ Conference – Hamburg, Germany Sep. 25-29
Investigative Reporters and Editors
See “Journalism Organizations” below for region-specific groups.
JOURNALISM TRAINING MANUALS
Story-Based Inquiry, Mark Lee Hunter in many languages
The Verification Handbook – edited by Craig Silverman
Toolkit International Journalists Network Center for Journalists
Reporters handbooks, Reuters Foundations
ONE-STOP INVESTIGATIVE TOOL RESOURCES
Bellingcat’s Online Investigation Tool Kit
SECURITY, SAFETY AND LEGAL HELP
DIGITAL SECURITY
GIJN Digital Security page with tutorials and tipsheets
LEGAL HELP
Media Legal Defence Initiative
GIJN list of organization that provide legal defense for journalists
PERSONAL SAFETY
International News Safety Institute
GIJN list of organizations that provide emergency support for journalists in danger
From Dutch technojourno Henk van Ess’s bookmarks:
- Journalist Security Guide
- Section of United Nations
- The BBC Safety Guide (they even have an app, but not for the public)
- OSCE Safety of Journalists Guidebook
- Irex
- Global Journalist Security
- Safety for women reporters
DATA
See also the Tips & Tools tab
Government ministries by country
Data is Plural Global archive of databases
- Data is Plural – weekly newsletter
Air quality data – WHO
Archives Portal Europe online gives access to materials and information from archival institutions in 17 countries.
Background data on influential companies, cases, people in Eurasia (OCCRP) Latin America (OCCRP) and South America (Poderopedia)
Business records – Investigative Dashboard compilation of links to online databases by country
Economic data (scroll down)
Farmsubsidy.org – Who’s getting them in EU
Freedom of information laws (scroll down)
Income — Penn World Table relative income and productivity
Internet archive Saves old versions of webpages
Investigative Dashboard – OCCRP
“Panama Papers” OffshoreLeaks ICIJ
Phone books (scroll to bottom)
ECONOMIC DATA
Alta Plana International Economics Gateway
Eurostat (European Commission)
International census and statistical agencies — country links (U.S. Census)
International Monetary Fund database of fiscal crises
Offstats — official statistics by country, region, topic (University of Aukland)
Organization for Economic Development and Co-operation (OECD)
Political boundaries – geoBoundaries has county, district down to village level boundaries for many countries.
Glossaries and tutorials:
European Commission inflation tutorial and glossary (change language in upper right)
OECD Glossary of Statistical Terms
Journalist’s Resource Primer on Statistical Terms Used in Research
Stattrek Statistics Dictionary
For more open source data, see the Tips & Tools tab
PEOPLE SEARCH
Website ownership Whosis
SHIP & PLANE TRACKING
Aircraft tracking
- GIJN Planespotting
- Aviation authorities
- Aircraft registration from Landings.com
- Aircraft flight plans via Flightexplore.com, planefinder.net and flightaware.com
- FAA: US registry of pilots and aircraft mechanics
- Planespotters
Vessel tracking
Sources:
Global Investigative Journalism Network
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Deb Nelson
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