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Federal law requires lobbyists to register ​with Congress​. But that registration is just a tip sheet of sorts to getting a full picture of how various corporations are attempting to move their agendas in Washington--or in state capitols where they might also register a lobbying team. We take a look at some of the ​tools and techniques to build out a fuller, more narrative picture of what lobbying looks like by tapping into various databases, websites and other spots. ​We also discuss how states ​require a varying level of reporting, from basic registration to disclosure of payments from clients​ and ​contributions to lawmakers​.​​ ​And we reverse engineer a few stories--to show how the information needed to get a lobbying story on page one came together.