Evidence library

The Scottish Information Commissioner is supporting the University of Strathclyde to undertake a three-year research study which aims to explore the extent to which campaign groups and voluntary organisations in Scotland and the UK make use of freedom of information (FOI) legislation. The launch of the research follows evidence which suggests that the FOI right to information may not be being used to its full potential by Scotland's voluntary and campaign organisations, with only 4% of the appeals received in 2007 by the Commissioner coming from the sector. This figure compares with 7% for politicians and 77% for members of the public. The study, which is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), explores the reasons for the apparent low usage, while also mapping FOI-use within the sector and examining how FOI fits with wider organisational priorities. The webpage linked below contains downloads of the research outputs so far, including the results of the 'Volunteering Information?' survey published on 4 January 2010, a summary of the project proposal and a Conference Report from the research launch event 'Civil Society and Freedom of Information - A Missed Opportunity?', held at the University of Strathclyde on 30 September 2008.