Start here

New to PSI Sci? Welcome. Here's the whole idea in five steps.

Pick a topic you care about. Today we have Texas environmental agency (TCEQ) contracts. Start with the vendor list to see who gets paid the most.
Open a record. Each one shows what was bought, from whom, for how much, and when, plus a link to the agency's source file.
Check the source. Click the source link. Facts you checked yourself are facts you can stand behind.
Save it to your notebook. Use the blue "Save to my notebook" button. Your notebook is saved in this browser, and in your private account if you sign in.
Send a short note to your officials. On Take action, choose your officials, edit the suggested note, then print it, copy it into their contact form, or read it on the phone. You send it yourself.

Good questions are specific and kind

"Contract X paid $Y to Z from 2024 to 2026. What did the public get for it, and was it competitively bid?"
"This vendor holds 40 contracts with one agency. Who reviews whether that is the best value?"

Assume good faith and ask for facts. Staff answer clear, courteous letters from constituents. Anger gets filed away; specific questions get answered.

Catalog: One public dataset, such as "TCEQ contracts".
Record: One row of a catalog: one contract, one vendor, one vote.
Official (actor): A person or organization in public life.
Jurisdiction: A place with a government: U.S., Texas, a county, a city.
My notebook: Your own private list of what you saved, with your notes and collections. It also makes a note you can send to your officials.
Words: Plain meanings of legal words like "ad valorem". See all words.