Local governance in the new information ecology: the challenge of building interpretative communities

Abstract

The localism agenda in England, to the extent that it has been followed through, relies on the increasingly free availability of government data for its success. The availability of this open government data, however, solves nothing: as many writers have pointed out, such data needs to be interpreted and interpretation is always a function of a collective—what has been called an ‘interpretative’ or ‘epistemic’ community. The authors question the possibility of such local epistemic or interpretative communities emerging in the English context.

Keywords:

• Local governance
• localism
• information ecology
• interpretative communities

Additional information

Notes on contributors

James Cornford

James Cornford is Senior Lecturer at Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia, UK.

Rob Wilson

Rob Wilson is a senior lecturer at Newcastle University Business School and the Director of the Centre for Knowledge, Innovation, Technology and Enterprise, Newcastle University, UK.

Susan Baines

Susan Baines is a reader in sustainable business at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.

Ranald Richardson

Ranald Richardson is Principal Research Associate, Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies, Newcastle University, UK.