Access To Government Information Research Articles

The Future of Freedom of Information in the United Kingdom

This article investigates the future of Britain's Freedom of Information Act [FOIA]. It argues that the UK FOI regime faces a set of unique opportunities and challenges that may decisively impact upon the shape of FOI policy in Britain.On the one hand, the increasingly assertive FOIA appeal bodies, constant pressure from requesters, alongside the more open habits practised within the Civil Service, may serve together to ‘open up’ government information access. This in turn may widen and strengthen the British FOI regime.On the other hand, a series of potential obstacles may inhibit or undermine the new FOI regime. Delay and inconsistency, potential record management problems and ‘gaps’ within the scope of the Act, all present possible barriers to further openness. Most of all, following the two recent attempts to limit the scope of the legislation, the intentions and actions of the government will be crucial in shaping the future of FOI policy.

Providing Perpetual Access to Government Information

The past few years have seen the Government Printing Office (GPO) move from managing predominantly paper based government publications to collecting, organizing, and disseminating government information electronically. Serious concerns have been raised about perpetual access and authentication of government information in the new digital environment. This article focuses on GPO's plans to preserve both electronic and tangible government information resources and the initiatives being taken by GPO in collaboration with the library community and other stakeholders to address these matters.

How the GPO Got Its Groove Back

In the last decade, the Government Printing Office has dealt with two major problems of this revolution. First, GPO has had to master the various aspects of the electronic age. Second, they have had to deal with the “under-the-gun” mentality of a government totally enamored of the “apparent” efficiency and accuracy of electronic information. GPO's struggle with these problems has been neither easy nor comfortable. From top to bottom in the government documents world nearly everyone has some degree of apprehension, misgiving, or outright suspicion concerning the future of the accessibility of government information. Despite these difficulties GPO has made important strides toward implementing the apparatus of electronic information, while at the same time striving to ensure the quality and coherency of the end product available to the nation's citizens.

Electronic Government and Online Engagement

This exploratory study examines civic engagement with e-government via Web sites. It provides an analytical framework that integrates both the supply and the demand sides of citizen interaction with e-government. In modeling three dimensions of online civic engagement (government information access, service transactions, and contributing to government policy-making processes), the study framework incorporates a number of variables, including political activism, civic involvement, perceived benefits and difficulties, information channels, and demographic characteristics. Based on a national sample of Internet users, the study highlights the importance of the supply side (availability of e-government) for promoting civic engagement. Furthermore, political activism is found to be related positively to accessing government policy information and contributing to policy-making processes. The study results also confirm the significant impact of perceived benefits in fostering online civic engagement. Future research can benefit from this study by utilizing a more comprehensive model, treating various dimensions of online engagement separately, and conducting an in-depth analysis of the elements of perceived benefits.

Let the People Know the Facts: Can Government Information Removed from the Internet be Reclaimed?

This article examines the legal bases of the public's right to access government information, reviews the types of information that have recently been removed from the Internet, and analyzes the rationales given for the removals. The article suggests that the concerted use of the Freedom of Information Act by public interest groups and their constituents is a possible method of returning the information to the Internet.

E-Government Metadata Standard

With development of information technology that allows bidirectional exchange and access of information made possible the formation of e-Government. The e-Government and the E-Government Act established for its support provides a tool for online access of government information. This brought on many changes in the recordkeeping environment of public institutions, and also guarantees access of government information by the general public. The active disclosure of government information was re-confirmed through the Freedom of Information act that was amended in 2004, and through its contents that offer guidelines for administrative information disclosure and announcements (Prime Minister Orders No.422) As a result of this effort, Ministry of Culture and Tourism Cultural Heritage Administration provide real time update of their homepages with focus on key organizational policies and records. Such changes are expected to other various public organizations. In order for public organizations to accurately and efficiently provide information sources, and in order to provide the public with easy access to such information, development of public infrastructure along with e-Government metadata are necessary. Korea does not yet have e-government metadata that has been standardized, although GILF Core Element has analogous functions. However, GILS Core element has been developed without recordkeeping intent, and it has not been successful in establishing a connection with recordkeeping metadata. Therefore, in this study, criteria for e-government metadata are proposed.

The utilization of e‐government services: citizen trust, innovation and acceptance factors*

Abstract. Electronic government, or e‐government, increases the convenience and accessibility of government services and information to citizens. Despite the benefits of e‐government – increased government accountability to citizens, greater public access to information and a more efficient, cost‐effective government – the success and acceptance of e‐government initiatives, such as online voting and licence renewal, are contingent upon citizens’ willingness to adopt this innovation. In order to develop ‘citizen‐centred’ e‐government services that provide participants with accessible, relevant information and quality services that are more expedient than traditional ‘brick and mortar’ transactions, government agencies must first understand the factors that influence citizen adoption of this innovation. This study integrates constructs from the Technology Acceptance Model, Diffusions of Innovation theory and web trust models to form a parsimonious yet comprehensive model of factors that influence citizen adoption of e‐government initiatives. The study was conducted by surveying a broad diversity of citizens at a community event. The findings indicate that perceived ease of use, compatibility and trustworthiness are significant predictors of citizens’ intention to use an e‐government service. Implications of this study for research and practice are presented.

Can Information and Communication Technology Help Reduce Corruption? How So and Why Not: Two Case Studies from South Asia

AbstractThe deployment of electronic governance over the past few years has enabled citizens to access government information and services with more ease and less cost. Unfortunately, the majority of governments embracing these technologies and making the citizen-government interaction easier to navigate are found primarily in the industrialized West. One exception is India, which is the focus of this paper. Beyond viewing electronic governance as a means of facilitating state-citizen interactions, I explore the linkages between electronic governance and corruption deterrence, and by doing so, fill in a crucial void in the current literature. After reviewing successful ICT-led government reform efforts in the West from public administration literature, a simple model is proposed to determine how these technologies may come to be utilized for reform. The model is then applied to the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and the neighboring government of Bangladesh to test the salience of the variables, and to determine why the former may be more successful than the latter.

Designing electronic government information access programs: a holistic approach

That electronic government information repositories are growing in number, use, and diversity is one manifestation of the emergence of e-government. These information-centered programs both shape and respond to user demand for electronic government information as computer-mediated user access has displaced traditional staff-mediated access. These programs are no longer concentrated in statistical agencies but increasingly are offered by a wide array of mission-driven operating agencies to complement their other services. This study identified the design dimensions of electronic information access programs by examining mature existing programs. These dimensions address users, uses, organizational capabilities, data characteristics, and technology. The study then explored the application and interdependence of these dimensions in three efforts to design and develop new access programs. The study produced an empirically based, testable model of observable dimensions that shape the cost, complexity, and potential performance of these programs. In addition, the article offers government managers some insight into the practical implications they will face in designing and operating electronic information access programs.

인터넷상의 정부정보 이용에 관한 연구

정부정보는 한 국가의 국민으로 살아가기 위해서는 누구에게나 필요하다. 인터넷 보급으로 필요한 정부 정보에 보다 쉽게 접근하여 이를 이용할 수 있으며, 특히 전자정부 웹사이트를 통해 필요한 정부정보를 얻을 수 있는 길이 열리고 있다. 본 연구에서는 전자정부 프로젝트를 가장 잘 추진하고 있는 미국, 캐나다, 오스트레일리아의 전자정부에 대하여 조사해 보고, 한국의 전자정부에 대하여 조사하여 전자정부 웹사이트를 통해 보다 유용한 정부 정보를 찾을 수 있는 방법을 모색하여 보았다. Accurate and current government information is essential to any member of that country. Now it has become possible to access government information with greater ease and convenience on the internet. This study examines e-government websites of the U. S. Canada Australia, the leading countries in the e-government project, and provides ways to improve the e-governments website of Korea.

The metadata approach to accessing government information

This introductory essay provides an overview of the articles in this special issue. In addition, it provides a brief historical sketch of the development of GILS and offers several perspectives on the critical importance of metadata for resource description and resource discovery. Interoperability is presented as a key challenge in integrating access to the various government information locator services being deployed at state and Federal levels.

Governments as electronic publishers? The Dutch case

The improvement in the accessibility of government information is one of the primary goals of government information policy. The Dutch government seems to regard the Internet as an ideal vehicle for providing citizens with government information. But, despite the open and public character of the Internet, the Internet is not the only relevant technology that can improve the accessibility of government information. This article examines how the Dutch government has tried to improve accessibility in six particular cases of electronic publishing. The experiences within these cases can help to identify feasible options that governments have in dealing with these issues, especially the technological and organizational choices that governments face.

Electronic dissemination of government information in canada: Implications for equitable access

Increasingly, federal government departments in Canada are publishing and disseminating official information in electronic form. A survey of all full and selective depository libraries in the Canadian Depository Services Program was undertaken to determine the extent to which those libraries are prepared for the shift to electronic formats. Findings reported in the article show that academic and government libraries are better positioned than public libraries to provide service. Academic and government libraries have access to greater numbers of more powerful personal computers, better printers, and higher speed connections to the Internet. The imposition of fees for service is seen to be an important issue. Public libraries comprise the largest single sector of libraries among depositories, and yet, their users are significantly disadvantaged in accessing government information by means of the new technologies.

A model for a new approach to federal government information access and dissemination

The potential of electronic technologies to reduce costs, increase access, and decentralize federal information dissemination activities has sparked several legislative reorganization proposals. Congress has also called on the U.S. Government Printing Office to plan for a more electronic Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). Realizing that developments to data were only opening salvos, the American Library Association President convened a Forum on Government Information Policy in July 1995. Representatives of several library associations developed a “Model for New Universe of Federal Information Access and Dissemination.” This article discusses the New Universe model, which includes two preliminary proposals: to reconceptualize federal information access and dissemination responsibilities and to reinvent the FDLP as a federal/ state/local library partnership program.

Assessing US Government bulletin boards: problems, policy issues and recommendations

Federal government agencies increasingly use electronic bulletin board technology as a means of providing access to and dissemination of electronic government information. This paper identifies and analyzes existing government bulletin boards (BBSs). It also assesses the types of information available to information users on the BBSs as well as the cost and technological access issues involved in federal agency use of BBSs. Furthermore, the paper presents a typology of bulletin boards. Finally, it discusses information policy implications resulting from BBS development, especially with regard to access and dissemination of electronic government information. These “new” access mechanisms are often‐times difficult to use, are poorly deployed and operated, and may serve to limit access to some types of government information.

Interagency workshop on public access: A summary for historical purposes

In May 1991, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sponsored the first interagency conference on public access at Solomons Island, Maryland. The conference was in response to a growing need for increased public access, apparent in legislation and mission requirements, to government information. It offered departmental and agency representatives an opportunity to share experiences and to discuss the need for an integrated approach among the Federal departments and agencies to public access and dissemination of government information [see Government Information Quarterly , 9 (1992): 187–198]. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Information Resources Management sponsored the second of these interagency meetings. Convened at Solomons, Maryland on November 18–19, 1991, the workshop focused on the issues surrounding public access to Federal computers, and the need for the development of policy statements that the various departments and agencies could adapt. This article provides an historical record of that conference. 1

Defence and Disarmament Information: principles, problems and practicalities

The use of information to influence particular audiences in particular ways is especially prevalent in the defence and disarmament field. The variations between different countries in the accessibility of government information on defence issues reflect differences in political culture. The lack of information may inhibit full consideration of such issues by different groups of users. The Armament and Disarmament Information Unit (ADIU) was established at the University of Sussex in 1978, to collect, monitor and disseminate such information. The Unit's activities and publications are described in detail. A list of other information units covering defence and disarmament and an appeal for funds are included.

AN interview with Thomas J. Kleis staff director of the U.S. Congress' joint committee on printing: Interviewed by Bruce Morton, Associate Editor and Steven D. Zink, Editor-in-Chief

This interview with Thomas J. Kleis, staff director of the Joint Committee on Printing (JCP), covers many of the areas where the JCP finds itself a prime player. Kleis fields questions on the JCP's relationship with the U.S. Government Printing Office, the assault on the JCP by executive branch agencies and the Information Industry Association, and the broader issues of privatization of government information and public access.