Freedom of information and the volume of requested data: An experimental study

Abstract

This study explores local government responses to information requests by focusing on the volume of requested data and a reference to the freedom of information (FOI) legislation. The study relies on a field experiment with a 2 × 2 between-subject design conducted on municipalities in Slovakia. The information requests varied in the volume of the requested data (low vs. high) as well as in the inclusion of a reference to the country's FOI legislation (no reference vs. explicit reference). The study reveals that asking for more information noticeably reduces the responsiveness of municipalities. However, this effect is moderated by the inclusion of a reference to a FOI law. For requests seeking a small volume of data, an explicit reference to a FOI law only slightly supports the response rate. Conversely, in the case of high-demand requests, incorporating a FOI law reference substantially improves the responsiveness of municipalities. This research contributes to the literature on transparency as it demonstrates that referring to FOI legislation is an effective tool to overcome the reluctance of local governments to respond to more demanding information requests.