Upgraded FOIA.gov Search Tool Delivers Improved Results

The FOIA.gov Search Tool was recently upgraded to leverage advancements in machine learning. This upgrade is expected to significantly improve the results and resources it delivers to the public.  Initially launched in October 2023, the Search Tool helps users locate already-public information or the correct agency to submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

The Search Tool contains guided journeys for users seeking commonly-requested records, such as travel or military records, as well as a search box for custom queries.  Since launch, users have submitted almost 200,000 common topic or custom query searches.  In response to custom queries, the Search Tool recommends federal agencies likely to have responsive records and directs users to documents already posted by agencies on their agency websites that may satisfy the query.  Previously, the Search Tool generated these results based on agency mission statements, FOIA logs, and the titles of agencies’ posted frequently requested records.

Since October 2023, advancements in machine learning technology have made significant improvement to the Search Tool possible.  After ingesting over 40,000 documents from over 3,500 publicly available FOIA Libraries using a new data ingestion tool and extensive testing and refining of the model, the improved Search Tool delivers document results based on the complete contents of published documents (not only the title, as was done previously), in addition to mission statements and FOIA logs.  This improves the accuracy of both the agencies it recommends and the documents it suggests.  Moving forward, the Search Tool will be updated quarterly with newly published material from agency FOIA Libraries to keep the results current.

We encourage agencies and the public to engage with the improved Search Tool and provide feedback.  To learn more about the Search Tool and to provide suggestions, visit the How it Works page.  OIP is always interested in improving the usability of FOIA.gov and will continue to monitor and improve the performance of the Search Tool to make it easier for the public to locate government information. 

Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs

Source: Justice.gov