The National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR) is pleased to announce the release of “Responding to FOIA Requests: Facts and Resources,” a ten-point best practices guide for understanding and responding to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, particularly those from animal rights organizations.

The guide includes suggestions for determining who should be aware of and responsible for responding to FOIA requests; examples of records commonly requested from the NIH, USDA, and universities; an explanation of some of the ways animal rights activists use the FOIA; and steps that can be taken to ensure that the proper information is provided to the requestor.

According to NABR President Frankie Trull, “The guide is intended to assist researchers, university administrators, and university counsels in understanding and responding to federal FOIA requests and state open records requests.”

In recent years animal rights activists have increasingly used the federal FOIA and state open records laws to obtain information about biomedical research projects and identify principal investigators (PIs) using animals. In some cases this information is then posted on Internet sites that label investigators as animal “abusers” and encourage the harassment of PIs. Some sites also facilitate or suggest the use of violence against PIs.

The best practices guide is the result of the combined efforts of the National Association for Biomedical Research, Society for Neuroscience (SfN), and the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB).

For a copy of “Responding to FOIA Requests: Facts and Resources,” click here.