The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is popularly understood to be the representation of “the people’s right to know” (Ginsberg 1) the various activities of the government. The Act was passed in 1966 after a series of investigations and legislation that took nearly 11 years. Under the Act, individuals have a right to access and use records without being questioned. No one is thus expected to explain why they need to access information. Generally, FOIA requires all federal agencies to permit the public to access any information under their custody in order to make it possible for civilians to gain an understanding of the decisions and activities of the government. The Act also creates a channel through which disputes regarding access to information records can easily be resolved. In the United States, the Act is presently a very important tool of inquiry as well as information gathering. Different people or groups are thus able to access information for various purposes. They include the press, the business community, activists, scholars, consumers, and attorneys (Ginsberg 1). Apparently, this privilege has also been extended to interested foreign parties. Ordinarily, responses to requests may be presented in paper or digital form. The assembly of responses usually consumes so much time and is thus handled by a special group of information management experts. In some cases, experts may explore the possibility of narrowing the scope of the requested information. In the event that some information cannot be given out to the requesters, it is the responsibility of information management professionals to a satisfactory explanation. With the passing of the OPEN Government Act in 2007, modifications were made to FOIA to encourage public participation in the improvement of the Act. The Freedom of Information Act Process To a large extent, the process of handling Freedom of Information Act requests tends to vary from one federal agency to another (Koontz 8). This notwithstanding, there are underlying similarities in the way things are done. As a starting point, information requesters are expected to submit their requests in writing to federal agencies. Requests may also be received via telephone or electronic means. Generally, requests for information may be initiated either by organizations or ordinary members of the public. After being received, information requests are expected to go through a number of distinct phases. Typically, the processing cycle is initiated by the requester of information. Next, the agencies locate and retrieve the requested information from their database records. After retrieval, the requested information is then prepared in readiness for release to the requester. However, before the information is released to the requester, the released records must be approved by relevant authorities. The records requested are then delivered to the individual or organization requesting. A number of things happen during the different phases. At the initial processing phase, for example, “a request is logged into the agency’s FOIA system, and a case file is started” (Koontz 8). Ostensibly, this activity is very critical for starting the FOIA process. The federal agency then takes time to review the request and establish both sco