The Information-Gathering Matrix: A Framework for Conceptualizing the Use of Freedom of Information Laws

Scholarship on transparency and freedom of information (FOI) conveys an overwhelmingly political narrative. Most uses of FOI, however, are private and nonpolitical in nature. This article explores the gap between the literature and empirical reality by means of an Information-Gathering Matrix, a framework for conceptualizing the motivations, uses, and impacts associated with FOI. Following a broad literature review, case studies illustrate that while FOI uses may be multifarious and prima facie nonpolitical, at least three of the matrix's four quadrantsfrom the public to the private and the political to the nonpoliticalfrequently tend toward politicization.