diff --git a/modules/file/file.go b/modules/file/file.go
index 73ae6052..60c5230d 100644
--- a/modules/file/file.go
+++ b/modules/file/file.go
@@ -64,16 +64,17 @@ type run struct {
 // parameters describes the parameters the file module uses as input upon
 // invocation
 type parameters struct {
-	Searches map[string]search `json:"searches,omitempty"`
+	Searches map[string]Search `json:"searches,omitempty"`
 }
 
 func newParameters() *parameters {
 	var p parameters
-	p.Searches = make(map[string]search)
+	p.Searches = make(map[string]Search)
 	return &p
 }
 
-type search struct {
+// Search contains the fields used to execute an individual search
+type Search struct {
 	Description  string   `json:"description,omitempty"`
 	Paths        []string `json:"paths"`
 	Contents     []string `json:"contents,omitempty"`
@@ -141,7 +142,7 @@ type check struct {
 // pretty much infinity when it comes to file searches
 const unlimited float64 = 1125899906842624
 
-func (s *search) makeChecks() (err error) {
+func (s *Search) makeChecks() (err error) {
 	defer func() {
 		if e := recover(); e != nil {
 			err = fmt.Errorf("makeChecks() -> %v", e)
@@ -287,7 +288,7 @@ func (s *search) makeChecks() (err error) {
 	return
 }
 
-func (s *search) hasMismatch(filter string) bool {
+func (s *Search) hasMismatch(filter string) bool {
 	for _, fi := range s.Options.Mismatch {
 		if fi == filter {
 			return true
@@ -379,32 +380,32 @@ func parseMtime(mtime string) (minmtime, maxmtime time.Time, err error) {
 	return
 }
 
-func (s *search) activate() {
+func (s *Search) activate() {
 	s.isactive = true
 	return
 }
 
-func (s *search) deactivate() {
+func (s *Search) deactivate() {
 	s.isactive = false
 	return
 }
 
-func (s *search) increasedepth() {
+func (s *Search) increasedepth() {
 	s.currentdepth++
 	return
 }
 
-func (s *search) decreasedepth() {
+func (s *Search) decreasedepth() {
 	s.currentdepth--
 	return
 }
 
-func (s *search) markcurrent() {
+func (s *Search) markcurrent() {
 	s.iscurrent = true
 	return
 }
 
-func (s *search) unmarkcurrent() {
+func (s *Search) unmarkcurrent() {
 	s.iscurrent = false
 	return
 }
@@ -1123,7 +1124,7 @@ func (c check) wantThis(match bool) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-func (s search) checkName(file string, fi os.FileInfo) (matchedall bool) {
+func (s Search) checkName(file string, fi os.FileInfo) (matchedall bool) {
 	matchedall = true
 	if (s.checkmask & checkName) != 0 {
 		for i, c := range s.checks {
@@ -1145,7 +1146,7 @@ func (s search) checkName(file string, fi os.FileInfo) (matchedall bool) {
 	return
 }
 
-func (s search) checkMode(file string, fi os.FileInfo) (matchedall bool) {
+func (s Search) checkMode(file string, fi os.FileInfo) (matchedall bool) {
 	matchedall = true
 	if (s.checkmask & checkMode) != 0 {
 		for i, c := range s.checks {
@@ -1168,7 +1169,7 @@ func (s search) checkMode(file string, fi os.FileInfo) (matchedall bool) {
 	return
 }
 
-func (s search) checkSize(file string, fi os.FileInfo) (matchedall bool) {
+func (s Search) checkSize(file string, fi os.FileInfo) (matchedall bool) {
 	matchedall = true
 	if (s.checkmask & checkSize) != 0 {
 		for i, c := range s.checks {
@@ -1192,7 +1193,7 @@ func (s search) checkSize(file string, fi os.FileInfo) (matchedall bool) {
 	return
 }
 
-func (s search) checkMtime(file string, fi os.FileInfo) (matchedall bool) {
+func (s Search) checkMtime(file string, fi os.FileInfo) (matchedall bool) {
 	matchedall = true
 	if (s.checkmask & checkMtime) != 0 {
 		for i, c := range s.checks {
@@ -1521,17 +1522,22 @@ func getHash(f fileEntry, hashType checkType) (hexhash string, err error) {
 }
 
 // SearchResults is the search result element for an invocation of the file module
-type SearchResults map[string]searchresult
+type SearchResults map[string]SearchResult
 
-type searchresult []matchedfile
+// SearchResult is the results of a single search the file module has executed. It contains
+// a list of the files which were matched as a result of the search.
+type SearchResult []MatchedFile
 
-type matchedfile struct {
-	File     string   `json:"file"`
-	Search   search   `json:"search"`
-	FileInfo fileinfo `json:"fileinfo"`
+// MatchedFile describes a single file matched as a result of a search.
+type MatchedFile struct {
+	File     string `json:"file"`
+	Search   Search `json:"search"`
+	FileInfo Info   `json:"fileinfo"`
 }
 
-type fileinfo struct {
+// Info describes the metadata associated with a file matched as a result of a
+// search.
+type Info struct {
 	Size   float64 `json:"size"`
 	Mode   string  `json:"mode"`
 	Mtime  string  `json:"lastmodified"`
@@ -1553,7 +1559,7 @@ func (r *run) buildResults(t0 time.Time) (resStr string, err error) {
 	elements := res.Elements.(SearchResults)
 	var maxerrors int
 	for label, search := range r.Parameters.Searches {
-		var sr searchresult
+		var sr SearchResult
 		// first pass on the results: if matchall is set, verify that all
 		// the checks matched on all the files
 		if search.Options.MatchAll {
@@ -1599,7 +1605,7 @@ func (r *run) buildResults(t0 time.Time) (resStr string, err error) {
 			}
 			// now that we have a clean list of files that matched all checks, store it
 			for _, matchedFile := range matchedFiles {
-				var mf matchedfile
+				var mf MatchedFile
 				mf.File = matchedFile
 				if mf.File != "" {
 					stats.Totalhits++
@@ -1642,7 +1648,7 @@ func (r *run) buildResults(t0 time.Time) (resStr string, err error) {
 				c.matchedfiles = append(c.matchedfiles, "")
 			}
 			for _, file := range c.matchedfiles {
-				var mf matchedfile
+				var mf MatchedFile
 				mf.File = file
 				if mf.File != "" {
 					stats.Totalhits++
diff --git a/modules/file/file_test.go b/modules/file/file_test.go
index f1d72e47..d1007ac3 100644
--- a/modules/file/file_test.go
+++ b/modules/file/file_test.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func TestNameSearch(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tp := range TESTDATA {
 		var (
 			r run
-			s search
+			s Search
 		)
 		var expectedfiles = []string{
 			basedir + "/" + tp.name,
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func TestContentSearch(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tp := range TESTDATA {
 		var (
 			r run
-			s search
+			s Search
 		)
 		var expectedfiles = []string{
 			basedir + "/" + tp.name,
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ func TestDecompressedContentSearch(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tp := range TESTDATA {
 		var (
 			r run
-			s search
+			s Search
 		)
 		var expectedfiles = []string{
 			basedir + "/" + tp.name,
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ func TestSize(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tp := range TESTDATA {
 		var (
 			r run
-			s search
+			s Search
 		)
 		var expectedfiles = []string{
 			basedir + "/" + tp.name,
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ func TestMTime(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tp := range TESTDATA {
 		var (
 			r run
-			s search
+			s Search
 		)
 		var expectedfiles = []string{
 			basedir + "/" + tp.name,
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ func TestMode(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tp := range TESTDATA {
 		var (
 			r run
-			s search
+			s Search
 		)
 		var expectedfiles = []string{
 			basedir + "/" + tp.name,
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ func TestHashes(t *testing.T) {
 		for _, tp := range TESTDATA {
 			var (
 				r run
-				s search
+				s Search
 			)
 			var expectedfiles = []string{
 				basedir + "/" + tp.name,
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ func TestDecompressedHash(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tp := range TESTDATA {
 		var (
 			r run
-			s search
+			s Search
 		)
 		var expectedfiles = []string{
 			basedir + "/" + tp.name,
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ func TestAllHashes(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tp := range TESTDATA {
 		var (
 			r run
-			s search
+			s Search
 		)
 		var expectedfiles = []string{
 			basedir + "/" + tp.name,
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ func TestAllHashes(t *testing.T) {
 func TestMaxDepth(t *testing.T) {
 	var (
 		r run
-		s search
+		s Search
 	)
 	var expectedfiles = []string{
 		basedir + "/" + TESTDATA[0].name,
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ func TestMacroal(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, mt := range MacroalTestCases {
 		t.Log(mt.desc)
 		var r run
-		var s search
+		var s Search
 		r.Parameters = *newParameters()
 		s.Paths = append(s.Paths, basedir)
 		s.Names = append(s.Names, mt.name)
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ func TestMacroal(t *testing.T) {
 
 type mismatchtest struct {
 	desc          string
-	search        search
+	search        Search
 	expectedfiles []string
 }
 
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ func TestMismatch(t *testing.T) {
 	var MismatchTestCases = []mismatchtest{
 		mismatchtest{
 			desc: "want files that don't match name '^testfile0' with maxdepth=1, should find testfile1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8",
-			search: search{
+			search: Search{
 				Paths: []string{basedir},
 				Names: []string{"^" + TESTDATA[0].name + "$"},
 				Options: options{
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ func TestMismatch(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		mismatchtest{
 			desc: "want files that don't have a size of 190 bytes or larger than 10{k,m,g,t} or smaller than 10 bytes, should find testfile1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8",
-			search: search{
+			search: Search{
 				Paths: []string{basedir},
 				Sizes: []string{"190", ">10k", ">10m", ">10g", ">10t", "<10"},
 				Options: options{
@@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ func TestMismatch(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		mismatchtest{
 			desc: "want files that have not been modified in the last hour ago, should find nothing",
-			search: search{
+			search: Search{
 				Paths:  []string{basedir + subdirs, basedir},
 				Mtimes: []string{"<1h"},
 				Options: options{
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ func TestMismatch(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		mismatchtest{
 			desc: "want files that don't have 644 permissions, should find nothing",
-			search: search{
+			search: Search{
 				Paths: []string{basedir},
 				Modes: []string{"-rw-r--r--"},
 				Options: options{
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ func TestMismatch(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		mismatchtest{
 			desc: "want files that don't have a name different than testfile0, should find testfile0",
-			search: search{
+			search: Search{
 				Paths: []string{basedir},
 				Names: []string{"!^testfile0$"},
 				Options: options{
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ func TestMismatch(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		mismatchtest{
 			desc: "test matchall+macroal+mismatch: want file where at least one line fails to match the regex on testfile0, should find testfile1 that has the extra line 'some other other text'",
-			search: search{
+			search: Search{
 				Paths:    []string{basedir},
 				Names:    []string{"^testfile(0|1)$"},
 				Contents: []string{`^((---.+)|(#.+)|(\s+)|(some (other )?text))?$`},
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ func TestMismatch(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		mismatchtest{
 			desc: "want files that don't match the hashes of testfile2, should find testfile0, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8",
-			search: search{
+			search: Search{
 				Paths: []string{basedir},
 				MD5:   []string{TESTDATA[2].md5},
 				SHA1:  []string{TESTDATA[2].sha1},
diff --git a/modules/file/paramscreator.go b/modules/file/paramscreator.go
index 79232797..6b44d6c2 100644
--- a/modules/file/paramscreator.go
+++ b/modules/file/paramscreator.go
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ func (r *run) ParamsCreator() (interface{}, error) {
 	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(os.Stdin)
 	for {
 		var label string
-		var search search
+		var search Search
 		// sane defaults
 		search.Options.MatchAll = true
 		search.Options.MaxDepth = 1000
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ func (r *run) ParamsParser(args []string) (interface{}, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	var s search
+	var s Search
 	s.Paths = paths
 	s.Names = names
 	s.Sizes = sizes