GOING FOR THE GOLD IN PUBLIC RECORDS

By: Charles Bowen Search Systems an Olympian In Pulling It All Together




We data nuts have a different way of killing time than most people. Instead of playing solitaire or cruising eBay for collectibles, we dive into new databases and figure out how many nonprofit organizations are in Virginia or learn the names and addresses of labor organizations in Louisiana.

Granted, our fishing expeditions sometimes produce little more than conversation stoppers for the next staff party. ("Zat a fact? Well, thank you, Cliffie ... But, whoa! Look at the time ... ")

Occasionally, though, we stumble across a resource that rises from the level of trivia to pure treasure. Such a find is Search Systems, a veritable information emporium from Pacific Information Resources Inc. that is guaranteed to wow even the most blas? and leaden-eyed statistical scavenger. A gateway to more than 1,500 free, searchable databases of assorted public records, Search Systems is a smorgasbord of data, both nationwide and from specific individual states.

It's not so much a place for fast answers to specific questions (though once you become familiar with its goodies, you can, of course, make return visits for just such quick fixes). No, initially, at least, you are more likely to use Search Systems for browsing and idea-generating, since it is best at answering questions you didn't even know you were asking. Such as?

o The names of professional property appraisers in your state.
o Identities and locations of convicted sex offenders.
o The text of recent letters written by citizens and organizations to the Federal Communications Commission about your local broadcasting stations.
o What local doctors have not repaid the federal government for the student loans they received to help finance their college educations.
o The death dates of specific people, according to the records of the Social Security Administration.
o Locations of hazardous waste sites.
o Details about recent inspections of local establishments by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and any resulting fines.

For these and dozens of other stats, visit the site at http://www.pac-info.com, where a no-nonsense introductory page provides hyperlinks to individual state and national data. To start your exploration, try clicking the "U.S. Nationwide Searches" and examining the resulting page, which provides an alphabetized list of links to more than 125 topics, ranging from adoptions, appraisers, and architects to unclaimed property, licensed veterinarians, and ZIP codes.

This is a classic example of an Internet portal, so each link takes you to someone else's independent site. That means, of course, that each database you visit works a little differently from all the others, so you'll need to examine the introductory screen on each target site to learn how to operate it.

Beyond the national links, as you begin to explore the state links, you'll find the depth of data differs greatly from place to place. For instance, at this writing, Mississippi had fewer than half a dozen databases online, ranging from corporate records of state-licensed companies to the most-wanted "deadbeat dads." By contrast, Georgia offered dozens of online resources, from data on local spending by lobbyists to the names and addresses of scores of professionals licensed by the state to local health statistics.

Other considerations in using Search Systems for your work:

o If you are researching Canadian topics, check the introductory screen for a link called "Canadian Searches." The resulting screen provides dozens of national links to everything from agribusiness to a "Women's Business Network." There are also province-specific links.
o Some legal databases require you to sign up for a service called PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records). For more information on that, visit the site at http://pacer.psc.uscourts .gov/register.html.

o If you want to be notified of new additions to the Search Systems site, click the "Sign Up" link in the upper left corner of the introductory screen. You'll then be prompted for your name, company, and e-mail address. Later, additions to the resources will be reported to you via an e-mailed newsletter.


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Bowen writes columns, articles and books from West Virginia, and is host of the daily Internet News syndicated radio show (http://www.netnewstoday.com).

charlesbowen@compuserve.com





Copyright 2000, Editor & Publisher