Public Records Online, 2nd Edition: The National Guide to Private and Government Online Sources of Public Records (2nd ed) (Online Ease) (Paperback)

~ Michael L. Sankey (Author)

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Want to locate your long-lost college roommate? Or find out if your neighbor has a criminal record? This book can help by guiding you through the maze of private and government online sources that provide address information, criminal records, bankruptcy records, judgments, liens, real estate assessments, motor vehicle records, and more. Although some of this information is restricted, it's scary how much can be accessed by anyone with a computer and a modem.

Product Description

This fully revised, 2nd edition is the authoritative guide to online accesss of public records and public information. Detailed profiles of over 1,000 sources zero in on access requirements, fees, Internet access, and user restrictions to a myriad of records including criminal, civil, corporate, lien, driver, vehicle, vital, real estate, trade name, address information,licensing, aviation, military, vessel, and many more. With plenty of overall searching hints and tips, this reference is a clear and concise path through a complicated maze of government bureaus and private automated distributors.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Facts on Demand Press (April 25, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 188915010X
• ISBN-13: 978-1889150109
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,092,004 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for researchers!, January 10, 1998

By	Cynthia Hetherington (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Public Records On-line: The National Guide to Private and Government Online Sources of Public Records (Public Records Online: The National Guide to Private ... Government Online Sources of Public Records) (Paperback)

This book is designed in the same format that most of the BRB Publisher texts are. Opening chapters are of general interest, moving into state by state phone and online information followed up by several appendixes describing online vendor information companies, government URLs, and privacy information. The State chapter which is 80% of the book, is broken down as: State Agencies County Courts Federal Courts Local Courts and County Record Retrievers This section is very resourceful, giving in detail what is permitted in that location and who can get the information for you. It appears that several of the BRB publications have been combined, and added to, to create this excellent source.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of Three Basic Research Guides, November 15, 2004

By	Robert D. Steele (Oakton, VA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Public Records Online: The National Guide to Private & Government Online Sources of Public Records (Paperback)

This is the third of three basic guides by Facts on Demand press that I am very happy to have in my collection and to recommend to others. This one focuses, as its title suggests, on Public Records Online, going down to the county level, state by state.

It is not a tutorial in how to search public records, but it does includes helpful introductory chapters and the bottom line is that using this book is cheaper than out-sourcing the work, so if you have a need to search public records online, this book is certainly a valuable and cost-effective place to start.

The other two books from the same publisher that I recommend are Find It Online, Fourth Edition: The Complete Guide to Online Research (Find It Online: The Complete Guide to Online Research) by Alan M. Schlein, and Online Competitive Intelligence, 2nd Edition: Increase Your Profits Using Cyber-Intelligence by Helen Burwell, the Grand Dame of global information brokering who for many years published the absolutely top-notch Burwell World Directory of Information Brokers (I have the 1998 edition and it is still useful to me).

See also:
The New Craft of Intelligence: Personal, Public, & Political--Citizen's Action Handbook for Fighting Terrorism, Genocide, Disease, Toxic Bombs, & Corruption
Information Operations: All Information, All Languages, All the Time

11 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars iffy, June 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Public Records On-line: The National Guide to Private and Government Online Sources of Public Records (Public Records Online: The National Guide to Private ... Government Online Sources of Public Records) (Paperback)

unclear search methods. not specific.