SOCIAL-SCIENCE RESEARCH IN CANADA AND GOVERNMENT INFORMATION POLICY -THE STATISTICS CANADA EXAMPLE

This research on government information policy's effects on use and us ers of government information considered social scientists' use of inf ormation from Canada's central statistical agency, Statistics Canada. Using a triangulated methodology, the investigation focused on Canadia n mid-1980s federal cost-recovery and restraint initiatives which appl ied to government information. The case study revealed Statistics Cana da's response to the initiatives. Bibliometric research objectively do cumented policy effects on use of statistics sources, examining Canadi an social science journal articles in five disciplines. Textual examin ation revealed use of Canadian and foreign governmental and nongovernm ental statistics sources over the years surrounding policy implementat ion. An author survey supplemented bibliometric findings. Higher price s and increased electronic data dissemination by Statistics Canada wer e confirmed, however bibliometric analysis indicated no significant ch ange over time in use of statistics sources. Survey respondents expres sed unhappiness with the price increases, but did not change sources u sed. Many (in 1995) still. used paper products rather than electronic ones, a finding which provides baseline data but which does not reflec t the more recent explosion in Internet use.