Using the Privacy Act as a Research Tool

Discusses the federal Privacy Act of 1982, which permits individuals to request information about themselves held by the government. The request must come from the individual who may correct errors or turn the information over to researchers. The process of submitting the request to government ministries is also discussed, as well as the range of exceptions to disclosure, such as national security. Concludes by describing how the Act was used to request material (including news clippings on file) for a biography of Claire Culhane, the radical political activist and social reformer.