ETHICS.md

Ethics Policy

Purpose

This project exists to support transparency, research, and public understanding of government records released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Guiding Principles

• Public Sources Only: All data must originate from publicly released documents.
• No Speculation: The project does not infer, predict, or hypothesize beyond document text.
• Citation First: Outputs must be traceable to source material.
• No Harm: The tool must not be used to defame, harass, or mislead.

Redactions

Redacted content is respected. This project does not attempt to reconstruct or infer withheld information.

Accountability

Users are responsible for how they interpret and use results. This tool provides analytical assistance, not conclusions.

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Ethical transparency is foundational to this project.