Affiliations: [a] Department of Information Science, Loughborough
University, Loughborough, UK
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Louise Cooke, Department of Information
Science, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK. Tel: +44 1509
228058; Fax: +44 1509 223053; E-mail: l.cooke@lboro.ac.uk
Abstract: This paper describes research to investigate the development of
United Kingdom government policy on citizens' access to public sector
information from 1996 to 2010, the first such significant project from an
information science perspective. In addition to mapping UK policy documents,
the main research method was the undertaking of semi-structured interviews with
key stakeholders from both inside and outside government. Main findings are:
uneven progress in the development of citizen-centric services; the continuing
need for intermediaries; and a lack of information literacy policy. The paper
also charts the increase in the opening up of government data for re-use during
2009 and 2010. It is considered significant that this increase in transparency,
by both main political parties, should come at a time when trust in government
was low, citizens' expectations of electronic access to information were rising
and the technology was enabling new channels for engagement. The influence of
individuals was found to be considerable, for example by Sir Tim Berners-Lee,
Professor Nigel Shadbolt and Tom Steinberg. Principles for citizens' right of
access to information are presented.
Keywords: Access to information, open government, public sector information, government information, information policy, information literacy, citizen-centric services
