Update random/primary_data_sources.md
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4. Note what you find; decide whether to seal, redact, or accept the exposure.
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4. Note what you find; decide whether to seal, redact, or accept the exposure.
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### **📄 Concise Master Document (Final Lean Edition)**
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**“Primary Public Data Sources You Leave Behind”**
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*No fluff, no tables, just the essentials.*
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---
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### **1. Civil Litigation Filings**
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- **Source**: Clerk of Court (federal/state).
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- **Index**: [PACER](https://pacer.uscourts.gov) / state e-filing portals.
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- **Caution**: Sealed settlements often leave complaints visible.
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### **2. Criminal Case Records**
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- **Source**: District Attorney + Court Clerk.
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- **Index**: State court portals / [JUSTICE 360](https://justice360.org).
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- **Caution**: Expungement ≠ mugshot removal from PD websites.
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### **3. Bankruptcy Filings**
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- **Source**: U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
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- **Index**: [PACER](https://pacer.uscourts.gov) / [RECAP](https://free.law/recap/).
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- **Caution**: Full bank account numbers often exposed.
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### **4. Real-Property Deeds**
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- **Source**: County Recorder.
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- **Index**: County GIS / [Grantor-Grantee Search](https://qpublic.schneidercorp.com).
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- **Caution**: Transfer-on-death deeds reveal heirs’ addresses.
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### **5. UCC & Business Filings**
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- **Source**: Secretary of State.
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- **Index**: [Sunbiz (FL)](https://www.sunbiz.org) / [SOSDirect (TX)](https://www.sosdirect.com).
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- **Caution**: Dissolved LLCs retain officer names forever.
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### **6. Professional Licenses**
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- **Source**: State licensing board.
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- **Index**: [CA DCA](https://search.dca.ca.gov) / [Nursys](https://www.nursys.com).
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- **Caution**: Original home addresses persist despite updates.
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### **7. Vital Records Indexes**
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- **Source**: State Vital Statistics Office.
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- **Index**: FOIA-able name/date lists (full certs require ID).
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- **Caution**: Divorce asset schedules often unsealed.
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### **8. Voter Registrations**
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- **Source**: County Board of Elections.
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- **Index**: State voter files (sold for <$50).
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- **Caution**: Address changes sync with DMV records.
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### **9. Campaign Donations**
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- **Source**: FEC / State Ethics Commission.
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- **Index**: [FEC.gov](https://fec.gov/data) / [OpenSecrets](https://www.opensecrets.org).
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- **Caution**: Refunds leave original donation visible.
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### **10. Tax Liens & Judgments**
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- **Source**: IRS / County Clerk.
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- **Index**: IRS ALSO system / county lien books.
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- **Caution**: Withdrawn liens remain indexed.
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### **11. Driving & Vehicle Records**
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- **Source**: State DMV.
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- **Index**: DPPA-permitted vendors (e.g., [PennDOT](https://www.dmv.pa.gov)).
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- **Caution**: License plate scanners feed public dashboards in some cities.
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### **12. Protection Orders**
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- **Source**: Family Court Clerk.
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- **Index**: State protection order registry (e.g., [NCIC-POF](https://www.ncjrs.gov)).
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- **Caution**: Temporary orders remain searchable after dismissal.
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### **13. Domain Name Registrations**
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- **Source**: Registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap).
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- **Index**: [ICANN WHOIS](https://whois.icann.org).
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- **Caution**: Historical WHOIS snapshots archived even with privacy.
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### **14. Social Media Public Posts**
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- **Source**: Your account (Twitter, Facebook, etc.).
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- **Index**: Platform search / [Wayback Machine](https://archive.org).
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- **Caution**: Deleted posts persist in caches and screenshots.
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### **15. FOIA Requests You Submit**
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- **Source**: Agency FOIA/records office.
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- **Index**: Agency public logs (e.g., [FBI FOIA Log](https://vault.fbi.gov)).
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- **Caution**: Request text reveals litigation strategy.
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### **16. Government Research Data**
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- **Source**: Collecting agency (NIH, Census, etc.).
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- **Index**: [Data.gov](https://www.data.gov) / [ICPSR](https://www.icpsr.umich.edu).
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- **Caution**: "De-identified" data can sometimes be re-linked to you.
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---
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### **Consistency Checks**
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1. **Structure**: All entries follow the same 3-line format (Source, Index, Caution).
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2. **Links**: Only primary sources (no third-party aggregators).
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3. **Tone**: Neutral, factual, no mitigation advice.
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Need to add more sources (e.g., **gun permits**, **boat registrations**, **aircraft ownership**)? I can extend the list while keeping the same style.
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---
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Primary Public Data Source You Leave Behind
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Purpose
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Help any adult understand, in one sitting, which first-hand records of their life are already public (or “public-on-request”) and where opposing counsel, an ex-partner, a reporter, or a bored stranger with a dial-up PC can retrieve them.
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Structure
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• One-line definition of the record type
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• Exact primary source (the first place the data is filed)
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• Typical public index or lookup tool (how anyone finds it)
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• Real-world caution note (what people forget)
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----------------------------------------
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1. Civil Litigation Filings
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– Definition: Anything you or your lawyer file or attach in a lawsuit.
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– Primary source: Clerk of Court case file (paper → scanned PDF).
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– Public index: PACER (federal), state e-filing portals, or county “Odyssey”/“TrueFiling” dockets.
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– Caution: Even sealed settlements often leave the original complaint visible.
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2. Criminal Case Dockets & Discovery
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– Definition: Charges, plea agreements, evidence lists, body-cam.
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– Primary source: District Attorney file + Court Clerk.
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– Public index: State court “Portal”, PACER for federal, many counties via “JUSTICE 360” or “CourtView”.
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– Caution: Expungement orders do not always purge the arrest blotter photo from police Facebook.
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3. Bankruptcy Schedules
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– Definition: Every bank account, crypto wallet, firearm, lawsuit, and co-signer you list.
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– Primary source: U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
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– Public index: PACER; free mirror RECAP.
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– Caution: SSN is truncated, but full account numbers often remain.
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4. Real-Property Chain-of-Title
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– Definition: Deeds, mortgages, liens, HOA covenants, foreclosure notices.
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– Primary source: County Recorder / Registrar of Deeds.
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– Public index: Recorder’s “Grantor/Grantee” web search; GIS parcel viewer.
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– Caution: Transfer-on-death deeds still reveal your heirs’ addresses.
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5. UCC & Business Filings
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– Definition: Collateral pledged in commercial loans; corporate formation docs.
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– Primary source: Secretary of State, Division of Corporations.
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– Public index: “Sunbiz” (FL), “SOSDirect” (TX), or national UCC search engines.
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– Caution: Even dissolved LLCs retain officer names and signatures forever.
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6. Professional & Occupational Licenses
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– Definition: Medical, legal, real-estate, contractor, barber, concealed-carry.
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– Primary source: State licensing board.
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– Public index: Board web portal; some states (CA, TX) provide bulk CSV downloads.
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– Caution: Home addresses on original applications can persist even after you update them.
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7. Vital Records Indexes
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– Definition: Birth, death, marriage, divorce.
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– Primary source: State Vital Statistics Office or Family Court Clerk.
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– Public index: “Index-only” lists (names, dates, counties) are FOIA-able in many states. Full certificates require ID.
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– Caution: Divorce “asset schedules” are often unsealed.
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8. Voter Registrations & Histories
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– Definition: Address, party affiliation, turnout history.
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– Primary source: County Board of Elections.
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– Public index: State voter file sold for <$50; some counties post searchable maps.
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– Caution: Change-of-address cards update driver’s license and voter roll simultaneously.
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9. Campaign & Lobbying Disclosures
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– Definition: Donations >$200, employer, occupation, lobbyist client lists.
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– Primary source: FEC (federal), state ethics commission.
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– Public index: FEC.gov “Individual Contributor Search”, OpenSecrets.org mirror.
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– Caution: Refunds or re-designations still leave the original line item.
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10. Tax Liens, Judgments, Wage Garnishments
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– Definition: IRS, state, or local tax debt plus court-ordered money judgments.
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– Primary source: IRS Centralized Lien Unit or County Clerk.
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– Public index: IRS “Automated Lien System” (ALSO) bulk data; county lien books.
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– Caution: Withdrawn liens stay in the index with a “withdrawn” flag.
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11. Driving & Vehicle Records
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– Definition: License status, crashes, DUIs, vehicle ownership.
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– Primary source: DMV abstracts.
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– Public index: “DPPA-permitted” lookup services (insurers, PI’s) for $5–$15.
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– Caution: Plate readers in parking lots feed open-data dashboards in some cities.
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12. Civil Protection / Restraining Orders
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– Definition: Petitions alleging abuse, stalking, or harassment.
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– Primary source: Family Court Clerk.
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– Public index: State protection-order registry; many counties show docket online.
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– Caution: Even temporary orders remain searchable after dismissal.
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13. Domain Name Registrations
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– Definition: Your name, address, phone, email tied to a domain.
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– Primary source: Registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap).
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– Public index: ICANN “WHOIS” (unless privacy-shielded).
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– Caution: Historical WHOIS snapshots (DomainTools) survive privacy add-ons.
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14. Social-Media Public Posts & Live Streams
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– Definition: Tweets, TikToks, YouTube uploads set to “public”.
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– Primary source: Your account.
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– Public index: Platform search, Google cache, Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
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– Caution: Screenshots circulate long after deletion.
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15. Public-Records Requests You Make
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– Definition: Emails, letters, or forms asking a government agency for documents.
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– Primary source: Agency FOIA/FOIL log.
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– Public index: Many agencies publish requester names & topics quarterly.
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– Caution: The request itself can reveal litigation strategy.
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16. Government Research & Open-Data Releases
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– Definition: Survey answers, grant applications, agency datasets.
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– Primary source: Agency collecting the data.
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– Public index: Data.gov, local open-data portals, ICPSR archives.
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– Caution: “De-identified” datasets can sometimes be re-identified with auxiliary data.
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----------------------------------------
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Usage Cheat-Sheet
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1. Pick any row.
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2. Visit the “Public index” URL.
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3. Search your own name exactly as it appears on official IDs (nicknames, maiden, middle initial).
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4. Note what you find; decide whether to seal, redact, or accept the exposure.
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End of document
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