![]() Investigation Central |
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All sites in alphabetic order
Clicking on any link opens that site in a new window.
ZabaSearch | Research Public records on people. |
Spokeo | Great baseline info, $ to get it all. |
411 Locate | Phone directory. |
411.com | Phone directory. |
555-1212.com | Phone directory. |
A Journalist Guide to the Federal Courts | How to understand the federal courts. |
A9 | Web search. |
About.com | Expert subject guides. |
ABS Classification - Vessel Information | Information about ships. |
Accurint | Record vendor. |
AccuWeather | Weather info. |
Acronym Finder | Decode acronyms and abbreviations. |
Adherents.com | Religion statistics. |
Agriculture B2B | Comprehensive Agricultural Directory |
AgriSurf | Agriculture search engine. |
AIM DocFinder | Find licensing and disciplinary history of doctors. |
Aircraft Registration Inquiry. | About registered aircraft. |
Airsafe.com | Airline safety information. |
All Area Codes | Complete listing with background information |
AMA Physician Select | Find doctors through the American Medical Association. |
American Board of Medical Specialties | Find if a doctor is certified. |
American FactFinder | Census data |
American FactFinder Geography Search | Search for Census information by place. |
American Religion Data Archive | Data on religion. |
American University Campaign Finance | Search for campaign finance information. |
AmeriCom Area Decoder | What city or state does an area code represent? |
Ancestry Vital Record Search | Find vital records. |
Ancestry.com Social Security Death Index | See if someone is listed as dead by the Social Security Administration. |
Annual Report Gallery | Corporate annual reports. |
Annual Report Service | Free online annual reports. |
Answers.com | One-click word definitions and other answers. |
AnyWho | Phone directory. |
AreaDecoder | Find area codes. |
Argali White & Yellow | Free phone directory software. |
ArgMax.com | Economics news, data and analysis. |
Asia Pacific Whois | Research Internet domains. |
Ask a Librarian (Library of Congress) | Reference librarians answer questions by phone, email or letter. |
Ask Jeeves | Web search. |
AssignmentEditor.com | Research resources for TV and print journalists. |
Association of Health Care Journalists | Health writer group. |
Autocheck | Vehicle histories. |
AutoTrack | Record vendor. |
Bartleby | Online classic books and reference. |
BBB Information System | How companies stand with the Better Business Bureau. |
Biographical Dictionary | Basic biographical info by name, keyword or date. |
Biography.com | Biographies from the A&E TV show. |
Black Book Online | Web sites of interest to private investigators. |
Blackstone Docket Inquiry. | Cases before the U.S. Tax Court. |
blinkx | Search for videos. |
BlogPulse | Search blogs. |
Bloogz | Blog search. |
BoardReader.com | Search message boards and forums. |
Bookshelf on Computer-Assisted Reporting | A list of readings on computer-assisted reporting. |
BPubs.com | Business search. |
BRB Publications | Publisher of books on how to find public records. Keeps list of free public record sites. |
Bureau of Economic Analysis | Economic stats. |
Bureau of Justice Statistics | Crime statistics. |
Bureau of Labor Statistics | Labor and economic statistics. |
Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator | Search for federal prisoners, current and former. |
Bureau of Transportation Statistics | Transportation stats. |
Campaign Finance Information Center | IRE/NICAR campaign finance Web site. |
Canada Lobbyists Registration System | Find Canadian lobbyists. |
"Can We Tape?" | State-by-state laws on tape recording conversations. |
CAR Skills Checklist | What you need to know to do computer-assisted reporting. |
CARFAX | Vehicle history reports. |
CARR-L | Discussion list for computer-assisted reporting. |
CataList | Find discussion lists. |
CDC WONDER | Public health data and reports. |
CensusScope | Investigate trends for states, metro areas and counties going back to 1980 or sometimes earlier. |
Center for Responsive Politics Lobbyists Database | Search for lobbyists. |
CentraOps.net Domain Dossier | Investigate domains and IP addresses. |
CFIC-L | An electronic mailing list for discussion of campaign finance reporting tools and techniques. |
Charity Navigator | Information for evaluating charities. |
Checkdomain.com | Internet domain search. |
Choicepoint | Record vendor. |
Chronic Disease Prevention Databases | Information on chronic diseases from the CDC. |
CIA - The World Factbook | Facts about countries. |
Citizen's Guide on Using the Freedom of Information Act | How to use the Freedom of Information Act. |
Classmates | Find former classmates. |
Cliche Finder | Phrases to avoid. |
Cloud spam | How to prevent spam in the cloud |
Clusty | Groups search results. |
Coast Guard | Coast Guard databases on boats. |
Coast Guard Vessel Search | Search for boats registered with the Coast Guard. |
Code of Federal Regulations | Federal Code of Regulations search. |
Code of Federal Regulations | Code of Federal Regulations at GPO Access |
Code of Federal Regulations at Cornell | Cornell's federal regulations site. |
Codes Of Ethics Online | Ethics codes collection. |
Columbia Journalism Review | Magazine for journalists. |
Commerce Business Daily | Notices of proposed government procurement actions, contract awards, sales of government property, and other procurement information. |
Congressional Hearings | Browse catalogs on Congressional hearings. |
Congressional Record Filter | A tool to help you stay up-to-date with issues in the Congressional Record. |
Contents of Today's Federal Register | Today's federal rules, proposed rules and notices. |
Cops & Court Reporters | Discussion group for cops and court reporters. |
Police 1 | Police and Law Enforcement jobs. |
Copyediting-L | Discussion list for copyeditors. |
Copyscape | Have you been plagiarized? |
Currency Convertor "XE" | Convert between currencies at latest exchange rates. |
CRISP | A searchable database of federally funded biomedical research projects. |
CyberJournalist | Tools for journalists. |
DataPlace | Create maps and charts of states, counties and cities showing, by Census tract, the homeownership rate, poverty rate, unemployment rate, vacancy rate and the percent of housing units that are overcrowded. |
Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections | Data on national and state elections from the 1700s to the present. |
Daypop | Blog and news search. |
Defense Almanac | Official military facts. |
Dialog | Information vendor. |
DICAR | Supports in-depth journalism in Europe. |
Directory of Online Government Gazettes | Governments report on themselves. |
Directory of open access journals | Free research journals. |
Disaster Finder | Links to disaster information. |
DocInfo | Disciplinary information on doctors. |
DocuTicker | Regular updates on new think tank, government and other reports. |
DOJ on FOIA | The DOJ's take on the FOIA. |
Domain Crawler | Internet domain information services |
Domain Names | Internet domain search. |
Drugs@FDA | A database on drugs approved or tentatively approved by the Food and Drug Administration, with supporting documents. |
EarthTrends | Environmental information portal. |
EconData.net | Regional economic information. |
Edgar Online | How to use EDGAR to search for SEC documents. |
Education Index | Links to information on education. |
Education Writers Association | Professional group for education writers. |
Educator's Desk Reference | Resource guides, lesson plans, question archives and the ERIC database, the world's largest source of education information. |
Elements of Style | The classic guide to writing good English. |
Encarta | Microsoft's online encyclopedia. |
Encyclopedia Britannica | Encyclopaedia. |
Envirofacts | One-stop source for environmental information. |
EnviroMapper | Environmental data and maps for anywhere in the U.S. |
Environment Writer Newsletter | About environmental and natural resources journalism. |
Environmental Data Registry | Information about the definition, sources and uses of environmental data. |
EWG Farm Subsidy Database | A database of farmers receiving federal subsidies. |
Excluded Parties List System | Contractors banned by the federal government. |
Expert Witness Directory | Juris Pro - Expert Witness Directory. |
Expert Witnesses | Expert Pages - Find experts. |
Experts.com | Find experts. |
Extra! Extra! | Guide to the latest investigative work |
FACSNET | Internet resources for journalists. |
FACSNET Sources | Expert sources. |
Fagan Finder | All-in-one page of Internet tools. |
FEC Data | Download complete FEC campaign finance files. |
Federal Aviation Administration | Regulates aviation. |
Federal Election Commission | Regulates federal elections. |
Federal Elections Project | Data on federal elections. |
Federal Excluded Parties List System | Contractors banned from doing work for the federal government. |
Federal Lobbyist Online Registration | Federal lobbyist registrations. |
Federal Register | Rules, proposes rules and federal government notices. |
Federal Trade Commission | Companies registered with the Federal Trade Commission. |
Federal (U.S.Government) statistics | Federal (U.S. Government) statistics portal. |
Fedworld | Government information and resources. |
Find How | The family, school, & library approved search engine for "how tos." |
Findlaw | Legal search engine and directory. |
Findlaw Lawyer Directory | Find lawyers by name, city, state or practice area. |
FindLaw Reverse Lookup | Reverse directory. |
First Amendment Center | About protecting free speech. |
FirstGov | Official federal government portal. |
FirstGov Directories | Federal government telephone and email directories. |
FlatRateInfo.com | Record vendor. |
FOI Letter Generator | Generate a Freedom of Information Act request. |
FOI-L | Discussion list on freedom of information. |
Fone Finder | Telephone search engine. |
Free Pint | Network of information researchers. |
Freeality | Search engine portal. |
Fuld Internet Intelligence Index | A business intelligence company's guide to the best Web sites. |
GenWed | Free marriage records online. |
Geneology Explained | Geneology with listings of free geneology websites |
Geographic Names Information System | Query geographic names. |
getCITED | Academic research. |
GILS Index | Find federal databases. |
Glossarist | Directory of glossaries. |
Google Alerts | Track topics of interest. |
Google blog search | What the blogs say. |
Google Groups | Search Web forums on any subject. |
Google Maps | Find places. |
Google News | Find the news. |
Google Scholar | Search for academic papers. |
Google Video Search | Search for video, not text. |
GOV-L | Discussion group for government reporters. |
GovEngine.com | Directory of federal, state and local government Web sites. |
Government Information Locator Service | Find federal information resources, especially computer databases. |
GovTrack | Makes it easier to follow the federal government. |
GPO Access | Disseminates official information from all three branches of the Federal Government. |
GPO Access Databases | Federal government databases. |
GuestFinder.com | People to interview. |
Guidestar | Get non-profit tax filings. |
Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents | Guide to bypassing official and unofficial censorship. |
HazardMaps | Map floods and other hazards. |
HazDat Database | Information on dangerous substances. |
HeadlineSpot.com | Sources for news. |
healthfinder | Federal government guide to health information. |
Healthline.com | Search for reliable health information. |
Heritage Foundation CARR | A foundation promotes computer-assisted reporting. |
HGExperts.com | Expert directory. |
Hieros Gamos | Legal news and information on the law. |
Hoaxbusters | Debunks Internet hoaxes. |
HomeTownLocator | Demographic and other information about U.S. places. |
HomeTownLocator Distance | Enter two zip codes or two places and find the distance between them. |
Hoover's Online | Information on businesses. |
Household Products Database | Health and safety information about products. |
How To Conduct a Background Check | How to investigate people. |
HowStuffWorks | Explanations of "explains hundreds of subjects, from car engines to lock-picking to ESP." |
HUD Enterprise Geographic Information System | Find information about housing and the environment for any neighborhood. |
ICQ People Search | Search for people who use chat rooms. |
Inflation Calculator | Account for inflation. |
Information Please | Reference site. |
Infospace Reverse Lookup | Reverse phone lookup. |
Integrity Science Database | Database on financial ties of researchers. |
Intellus Search | Background & other Searches |
International Telephone Directories | Find anyone anywhere in the world. |
Internet 800 Directory | Directory of free toll free, 800, 888, 877, and 866 listings of businesses by company, number and type of industry. |
Internet Archive | Find old Web sites. |
Internet Experts | Links to expert sites. |
Internet Public Library | Internet information resources. |
Internet Scout Project | Finds and summarizes high-quality Web sites. |
Investigator's Guide to Sources of Information | GAO handbook. |
IPUMS | Detailed Census records. |
IRBsearch, LLC | Record vendor. |
IRE | Organization for investigative reporters. |
IRE FOI Center | On freedom of information. |
IRE-L | Discussion list for investigative reporting. |
IRS Charities and Non-Profits | Search for charities and non-profits. |
IRS charity search | Find charities. |
IRS Political Organization Filings | Some political organizations must file with the IRS. |
iTools | "Search, research, reference, look up or translate just about anything in one place." |
Ixquick | Internet metasearch. |
Journalism.org | Resources for improving journalism. |
JournalismNet | Internet research guide for journalists. |
Journalist Express | Research portal for journalists. |
Journalist's Guide to the Internet | Guide to Internet resources for journalists. |
Journalist's Toolkit | "Essential resources for the working journalist." |
JURIST | Legal research and education resources. |
KnowX | Record vendor. |
Landings | Aviation databases on pilots, regulations, planes and more. |
Langenberg Area Code Reverse Directory | Enter area code and get cities, states, zip codes, time zones it covers. |
Langenberg Search | People finders. |
Law.com Law Dictionary | Legal terms. |
LexisNexis | Record vendor. |
Librarian's Index to the Internet | Internet resources gathered by librarians. |
Library of Congress | World's largest library. |
LibrarySpot.com | Library and reference resources. |
LLRX.com | All about Internet research, technology and the law. |
LobbyWatch | Data on federal lobbyists. |
LocatePLUS | Fee-based public record provider. |
LookSmart | Web directory and search. |
LWG Consulting | Disaster recovery service for data, equipment, etc.(loss/forensic consulting). |
Lycos | Web search. |
Manufacturers Identification Code (MIC) Database | Boat manufacturers. |
Map24.com | Online maps. |
MapBlast | Maps and driving directions. |
MapQuest | Maps and driving directions. |
Maps On Us | Maps and driving directions. |
Marion Brechner Citizen Access Project | Lots of freedom of information resources from the University of Florida's journalism school. |
Marriage Records Database | Guide to finding marriage records on the Internet. |
Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Locator | Find lawyers by name, city, firm or law school. |
medi lexicon | Medical and healthcare abbreviations. |
MediaResource | Helps journalists find experts on science and technology. |
Medline Plus | Search medical journals. |
MelissaData Online Lookups | Free Online Lookups for ZIP Codes, address, nonprofits, area codes and more |
Melissadata.com | ZIP, address, area code and other free lookups. |
Merck Manual | Medical manuals. |
Merlin Information Services | Record vendor. |
Merriam-Webster Dictionary | Dictionary. |
Merriam-Webster Thesaurus | Thesaurus |
Military Buddy Finder | Search soldier database. |
Military Postal Service Agency | Military post office. |
Mobile & Cellular Phone Number Directory | Cell phone directory. |
Mr. Sapo | Search multiple search engines quickly. |
MSN search | Web search. |
Multimap.com | Online maps. |
Municipal Code Corporation | Look up municipal codes. |
Namebase | Investigative database. |
National Archives: Access to Archival Databases | Information on databases maintained by the federal government. |
National Association of Attorneys General | Communication Mechanism for the states chief legal officers. |
National Association of Science Writers | Professional group for science writers. |
National Association of Secretaries of State | Secretaries of State organization. |
National Aviation Safety Data Analysis Center | Aviation safety data. |
National Center for Charitable Statistics | National Center for Charitable Statistics |
National Center for Education Statistics | The federal agency that collects and analyzes education data. |
National Center for Health Statistics | One of the most important repositories of health data. |
National Climatic Data Center | Archive of weather data. |
National Contact Center | Federal telephone directories. |
National Criminal Justice Reference Service | Information on crime and substance abuse. |
National Futures Association | Futures brokers background checks. |
National Guideline Clearinghouse | Official health care guidelines. |
National Personnel Records Center | Request military records from the National Archives. |
National Press Club | Washington D.C. journalist organization. |
National Sex Offender Public Registry | Search multiple sex offender registries from one site. |
National Sex Offender Registry | Find sex offenders. |
National Transportation Library | Information on transportation. |
NCAA Research Reports | Research reports on the NCAA and athletics. |
NetLingo | Internet dictionary. |
NETRonline County Finder | Search for counties or latitudue/longitude by city, state or zip code. |
NETRonline Real Estate Records | Directory of online real estate records. |
Network Solutions WHOIS | Research Internet domains. |
Newratings.com | What the analysts say about a company's prospects. |
NewsDesigner.com | Blog for news designers. |
NICAR | Computer-assisted reporting organization. |
NICAR-L | National Institute of Computer Assisted Reporting discussion list. |
Notable Names Database | Background on noteworthy people. |
NTSB Aviation Accident Database | "Information from 1962 and later about civil aviation accidents and selected incidents within the United States, its territories and possessions, and in international waters." |
ObitsArchive | Search newspaper archives for obituaries. |
Office of Management and Budget | Get the U.S. budget. |
OneLook Dictionary Search | Dictionary search engine. |
Onelook Reverse Dictionary | Reverse dictionary. |
Online Conversion | Convert anything to anything else. |
Open CRS | Congressional Research Service reports. |
Opensecrets Lobbyist Database | Find lobbyists. |
Opensecrets.org | Campaign finance information. |
OS-CAR | Promotes the use of open-source software in computer-assisted reporting. |
OSHA | OSHA inspection databases. |
OSHA Accident Investigations Search | Records on OSHA accident investigations. |
OSHA Establishment Search | Search for OSHA inspections by company name. |
OSHA Inspections Within Industry | Search for OSHA inspections by industry. |
Oxford English Dictionary | Classic dictionary. |
PACER U.S. Party/Case Index | Nationwide search of federal courts. |
OSHA | Phonebooks - directory assistance for the U.S. |
Phonebook of the World | International phone directory. |
Phonenumber.com | Phone directory. |
Plane Crash Info.com | Information on plane crashes. |
Political Money Line | Campaign finance information. |
PollingReport.com | Summaries of the latest national polls. |
Power Reporting | Computer resources for journalists. |
Poynter Online | Journalism training. |
Poynter Web Tips | Useful Web sites for journalists. |
PR Newswire | PR information service. |
Pretrieve | Find free online records about a person, business or address. |
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse | A privacy advocacy organization. |
Project Vote Smart | Information on politicians. |
Public Agenda Online | Information on public opinion and public policy issues. |
The Public Records .com | Public records portal. |
Public Records - Search Systems | Directory of online public records. |
PublicRecordFinder.com | Public record portal. |
PublicRecordSources.com | Find public record vendors. |
PubMed | Medical journal search. |
Quality Check | Check quality ratings of health care organizations. |
Radio-Locator | Radio station search engine. |
RateMyProfessors.com | Students rate their professors. |
Recalls.gov | Recall information from federal agencies. |
Regret The Error | Highlights media corrections. |
Regulations.gov | Portal for federal regulations. |
Religion Newswriters Association | Professional group for writers on religion. |
ReligionFacts.com | "Just the facts on world religions." |
Reporter's Desktop | Useful Web stuff for journalists. |
ResearchBuzz! | Web resources. |
ResourceShelf | Web resources. |
Reverse Phone Directory | Reverse phone directory. |
Reverse Phone Lookups | Reverse phone lookups. |
RIPE Whois | Research Internet domains, including free-text search. |
Romenesko | Media industry news and commentary. |
Rootsweb Social Security Death Index | Free search to find if someone is living or dead. |
RootsWeb Town Search | Enter a town name and get the county and state. |
RxList | Drug information. |
Safer and Fitness Electronic Records Systems | Check trucker safety records. |
SamSpade.org | Trace email and Web sites. |
Scanners: Police-Scanner.info | Links to local scanners and information about the hardware. |
Scanners: Radio Scanner Guide | Comprehensive Scanner Reference |
Science.gov | Science portal. |
Scirus | Science search. |
SciSeek | Science and nature search engine. |
Scout Report Signpost | A guide to Web sites for researchers. |
Search Engine Math | Techniques for getting better results from search engines. |
SEC Edgar | SEC filings. |
SEC Filings and Forms | Explanations of SEC documents. |
SECInfo | SEC documents. |
Securities and Exchange Commission | Regulates the stock market and public companies. |
Security On Campus, Inc. | College crime stats. |
Selective Service verification | See if somone registered with the Selective Service. |
Shopping.com | Compare products and prices. |
Silent Partners | Database on non-profit political contributors. |
Smartpages.com | Phone directory. |
Social Security Number decoder | Enter a Social Security Number and learn in which state it was issued. |
Society of Environmental Journalists | Society of Environmental Journalists |
Society of Professional Journalists | Journalist association. |
Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics | Data on criminal justice. |
SportsDesigner.com | Blog for sports designers. |
SportsJournalists.com | Sports journalism discussion. |
Stanford Securities Class Action Clearinghouse | Case Index of companies facing Federal Securities Class Actions. |
Stat-USA | Business, trade and economic information. |
State Open Records Law Request Letter Generator | The Student Press Law Center helps you draft a state open record request. |
Statistical Abstract of the United States | One-stop guide to U.S. statistics. |
Superpages.com | Phone directory. |
Switchboard | Phone directory. |
Switchboard Search by Distance | Switchboard Search by Distance |
Tapping Officials' Secrets | State open record and meeting laws. |
Technorati | Blog search engine. |
TerraServer.com | Satellite images of the world. |
Terrorism Knowledge Database | Information about terrorist groups and incidents. |
Testy Copy Editors | Copy editor discussion group. |
The Bureau of Economic Analysis | Local economic data. |
The New Precision Journalism | Professor Philip Meyer's class book on computer-assisted reporting. |
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press | Legal help for journalists. |
The Revealer | A daily review of religion and the press. |
The Scannery | A search engine that specializes in searching the Web sites of companies around the world. |
The Scoop | Derek Willis' weblog on investigative and computer-assisted reporting. |
Thomas | Information on the U.S. Congress from the Library of Congress. |
Thomas Register | Directory of companies and their products. |
ThomasNet | Industrial directory. |
Tile.net | Search for listservs. |
Topix.net | A news portal. |
TOXMAP | Environmental maps of anywhere in U.S. |
TRAC | Databases on federal law enforcement. |
Tracers Information Specialists, Inc. | Record vendor |
TurboScout. | Search many search engines at once. |
U. S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims | Veterans with disputes over benefits. |
U.S. Blue Pages | Government phone directory. |
U.S. City Directories | Helps find local city directories to background people. |
U.S. City Directories on Microfilm | Find old city directories at the Library of Congress. |
U.S. Congressional Bibliographies | About official Congressional publications. |
U.S. Copyright Office | Search for copyright holders. |
U.S. General Accounting Office | Investigative arm of Congress. |
U.S. Government Contract Awards | Government contractor search. |
U.S. Government Manual | Comprehensive reference on federal government. |
U.S. Navy Ships Mailing Addresses | Find sailors on ships. |
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office | Search U.S. patents. |
U.S. Patents | Patent Full-Text and Full-Page Image Databases. |
U.S. Vital Records Information | Information on where to find public records. |
Ultimate White Pages | Search multiple phonebooks. |
Urban Legends Reference Pages | Debunks "urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation." |
URLinfo | Tools to research Web sites. |
USPS ZIP Codes | Find ZIP codes. |
USUS | Internet guide for journalists. |
Vessel Documentation Query by ID | Find boats by number. |
Vinelink | Find prisoners, jail inmates and sex offenders by state. |
VisualEditors | Designer discussion. |
Vital Learning Resources Center | A search engine for selected information and reference sites. |
VitalChek | Portal for ordering vital records. |
Vivisimo | Search engine that uses "document clustering" to display results. |
Webopedia | Computer and internet dictionary. |
Where to Write for Vital Records | Government site to help you find vital records. |
Whitepages.com | Phone directory. |
Whois.net | Information on Internet domains. |
Wikipedia | A user-created encyclopedia. |
Wiki Law | Legal Resources and Information |
WorldTime | Get the world time. |
WorstPills.org | Prescription drug information. |
www.GovExec.com | Government Executive magazine news service. |
Yahoo Columbia Encyclopedia | Encyclopedia. |
Yahoo! Maps and Driving Directions | Enter an address, get a map. |
Yalwa Business Directory - United Kingdom | - this is for the U.K. Note that http://www.yalwa.* takes to listings for many countries. * = nl (the Netherlands), de (Germany), fr (France), etc. |
Yalwa Professional Business Directory - United States | - This is the .com site that lists business in the U.S., but there is a side index with links for countries around the world. |
Yellow Pages and White Pages - InfoSpace | Yellow and white pages. |
yourDictionary.com | Word reference. |
ZabaSearch | Research Public records on people. |