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From the CNS Archive:

How the CNS Database Was Built and Used

Capital News Service
Sunday, April 21, 1996

To research these stories, Capital News Service created a database using information from 1994 lawmakers' disclosure statements, the most recent that were submitted to the State Ethics Commission.

Legislators must turn in the forms to the Towson-based commission by April 30 of each year. They are required to disclose interests in real property, interests in corporations, whether they or their immediate family members are employed by the state or owe debts. Finally, the lawmakers must disclose gifts they receive.

The database compiled forms from 118 legislators who currently hold office. It disregarded 70 forms from lawmakers who were elected in 1994 but did not take office until 1995.

To ensure the accuracy of the data, Capital News Service reporters twice copied by hand the gift section of the legislators' forms. The information was twice entered into the Paradox database program. Any discrepancies between the two databases were then checked and corrected against the actual paper records in Towson.

The reporters sorted the database to come up with the figures reported in the story.

Copyright © 2001 University of Maryland College of Journalism