Policy Review Section
Michael Healey 回顾了过去十年政府削减开支、私有化及信息技术发展对地方和区域研究信息基础的影响，并探讨了如何改进政府数据质量与利用方式。
In this Policy Review Section, Michael Healey of the Department of Geography, Coventry Polytechnic, considers the current debate surrounding the need to improve the information base for local and regional studies. He reviews the various pressures for change over the past decade arising from government expenditure cutbacks and privatization programmes, developments in information technology, the increasing commercial value of information and changes in demand from users. Healey goes on to consider various ways in which improvements could be made in the quality, availability and extent of information provided by central government and other data-gathering bodies and how research workers and policy makers could make the best use of the information that does exist, as well as improving their own procedures for collecting, handling and analysing information.