Shawn Stephenson
Texas public records are government-created documents, filings, databases, and communications maintained by state and local agencies that are generally accessible to the public under the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA), codified in Chapter 552 of the Texas Government Code. The law establishes a presumption that all information collected, assembled, or maintained by a governmental body … Read more
Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) is the process of collecting, analyzing, and verifying information from publicly accessible sources to produce actionable intelligence about individuals, organizations, events, or networks — transforming scattered public data into structured, documented, and independently verifiable findings. Quick Answer: Advanced OSINT investigations combine public records, digital archives, infrastructure data, and online behavioral traces to … Read more
Address history research is the process of reconstructing where a person has lived over time by combining public records, government filings, and verified data sources that document residential locations at different points across their life. Quick Answer: To find someone’s address history, combine multiple public records that contain residential information — property records, court filings, … Read more
Bankruptcy records are federal court filings created when an individual or business seeks legal protection from creditors under the United States Bankruptcy Code (11 U.S.C. § 101 et seq.) — documenting assets, debts, income, creditor relationships, and the court proceedings used to resolve those obligations. Quick Answer: All bankruptcies in the United States are filed … Read more
Public records for journalists are government-created documents, filings, and databases reporters use to verify claims, authenticate documents, trace financial and ownership relationships, and produce evidence-based reporting grounded in primary sources rather than unverifiable assertions. Quick Answer: Investigative journalists use public records to confirm facts that cannot be reliably established through interviews alone. The process begins … Read more
Employment history verification is the process of confirming where a person worked, what roles they held, and when they held them by comparing employment claims against public records, regulatory filings, professional disclosures, and other independently verifiable sources. Quick Answer: To verify employment history, start by confirming that the claimed employer exists through corporate or regulatory … Read more
Investigating a nonprofit organization means examining its tax filings, financial disclosures, regulatory registrations, and litigation history to determine how it operates, who controls it, and whether its activities match its stated mission. Quick Answer: To investigate a nonprofit, start by verifying its tax-exempt status using the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search (apps.irs.gov/app/eos). Then review Form … Read more
Property records are public documents maintained by county governments that document who owns real estate, how ownership has changed over time, and what financial claims — mortgages, liens, judgments — exist against a property. Quick Answer: To search property records, start with the county assessor or property appraiser using the property address — this reveals … Read more
Business research is the process of identifying how a company is structured, who owns or controls it, and what public records reveal about its operations, legal history, and financial risk — by following the official filings that business activity must create to be legally effective. Quick Answer: To research a business, start with the state … Read more
Lurking behind the notion of openness, public records often face barriers that challenge true transparency and demand closer examination.