FOI as a Data Collection Tool for Economists

Joanna Clifton-Sprigg; Jonathan James; Suncica Vujic

FOI as a Data Collection Tool for Economists

Joanna Clifton-Sprigg, Jonathan James, Suncica Vujic

University of Antwerp

Research output: Working paper / Preprint › Working paper

Abstract

This paper sets out a method of generating a unique data set that has been underused by economists – a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. The FOI Act came into force in 2005 in the UK and allows the public to make requests of publicly held data. We explain how they can be made and provide suggestions on how to make effective data driven requests, those most frequently made by
economists. Finally, we document the determinants of one particular FOI request. We applied for crime data from all police forces in the UK and examine the determinants of that request. In general, we find that observable characteristics of the local area or the police force neither determine whether the request was fulfilled, nor the speed at which it was responded to.

Original language	English
Place of Publication	Antwerp
Publisher	Faculty of Business and Economics, the University of Antwerp
Number of pages	13
Volume	D/2017/1169/008
Publication status	Published - Sept 2017

Publication series

Name	Research Paper 2017-008
Publisher	Faculty of Applied Economics, the University of Antwerp
No.	D/2017/1169/008

Keywords

Data Collection
Data Access

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

https://www.uantwerpen.be/images/uantwerpen/container1244/files/TEW%20-%20Onderzoek/Working%20Papers/RPS/2017/RPS-2017-008.pdf

Cite this

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N2 - This paper sets out a method of generating a unique data set that has been underused by economists – a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. The FOI Act came into force in 2005 in the UK and allows the public to make requests of publicly held data. We explain how they can be made and provide suggestions on how to make effective data driven requests, those most frequently made byeconomists. Finally, we document the determinants of one particular FOI request. We applied for crime data from all police forces in the UK and examine the determinants of that request. In general, we find that observable characteristics of the local area or the police force neither determine whether the request was fulfilled, nor the speed at which it was responded to.

AB - This paper sets out a method of generating a unique data set that has been underused by economists – a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. The FOI Act came into force in 2005 in the UK and allows the public to make requests of publicly held data. We explain how they can be made and provide suggestions on how to make effective data driven requests, those most frequently made byeconomists. Finally, we document the determinants of one particular FOI request. We applied for crime data from all police forces in the UK and examine the determinants of that request. In general, we find that observable characteristics of the local area or the police force neither determine whether the request was fulfilled, nor the speed at which it was responded to.

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KW - Data Access

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ER -

FOI as a Data Collection Tool for Economists

Abstract

Publication series

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Cite this