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.