Curious about the power of information access? This article explores the methodological aspects of freedom of information requests, examining how they function as “live archives” and a political methodology. The author considers the ethical implications, potential impact, and overall significance of freedom of information requests in geographic research. The first is how they operate as “live archives” that take shape as batches of files are compiled in ways that reflect search terms, negotiations over the scope of requests, bureaucratic processes, and considered judgments of researchers in response to variables both within and beyond their control. The second considers how freedom of information requests operate as a political methodology through the encounter they produce with state bureaucracies. Using examples that cut across these concerns and illuminate some of the ways that methodological scrutiny matters, the article discusses how freedom of information requests present overlapping yet distinct concerns for qualitative research on issues of reflexivity, ethics, and positionality. The methodological concerns that arise are not frequently discussed but, as with other methods, are important to understanding the limits and reach of data collection, analysis, and accessibility both for researchers and for the communities who may have interest in, or be impacted by, geographic research.
As a journal focusing on atmospheric and environmentally focused research, Atmosphere provides a platform for articles that investigate areas such as politics. This article adds to the scope by touching on political and environmental aspects.