Enterprise joins - matching databases that weren't designed to be matched - is one of the most powerful features of relational database managers like FoxPro, Access and Paradox. Using enterprise joins, reporters across the country have successfully matched databases of school bus drives against people with driving convictions, found dead people voting in elections, felons with hunting license, and deadbeat parents in state government.
When seeking databases, reporters should always think about ways they could join databases from different agencies or across different fields of study to get stories. Unfortunately, databases rarely have identifying codes like Social Security numbers or some form of employee id. In cases where you don't have this type of information you have to come up with proxies. Some identifiers could be birth dates or address like the person's street number, city or zip code.
Although enterprise joins can produce great stories they can be fraught with danger. A wrong match can give you incorrect information. You could, for example, get a match for a deadbeat parent working at the agency that collects delinquent childcare payments. But since you only matched on the person's name, the join could be wrong.
Always remember that a name is never a unique identifier. How may Ron Nixon's are there or John Smith's? There are probably thousands. Another thing to remember is that the names have to match in both. Ron Nixon is not the same as Ronnie N. Nixon to the database, even though they might be the same people. You will have to standardize the names to get the matches you want.
Finally, always verify, verify, and verify that the name you have is really the person you think it is. The join is just the start. Once you have that the real reporting begins. This not only ensures that you get the story right, it also protects you and your paper from a potential lawsuit.
Ron Nixon can be reached by e-mail at ron@nicar.org