Print edition: 
Each Monday, The Eagle highlights a government record that is available to the public. Open records help people keep government in check and help them better understand how government affects their lives.
For a complete list of You Oughta Know columns, go to www.kansas.com/oughta.
The record: Contracts signed by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Why you'd want them: To learn more about who the government is doing business with and how your tax dollars are being spent in the Defense Department.
Where you get the records: Contracts valued at $5 million or more are announced by 5 p.m. daily. You can see a list of contracts at www.defense.gov/contracts. Contracts for the past 30 days are listed on the contracts home page. Older contracts are accessible in the archives.
How much it will cost: The information is free.
