The use and misuse of regional data: insights from across the UK

Sharada Davidson; Kevin Connolly; James Black; Mairi Spowage

The use and misuse of regional data: insights from across the UK

Sharada Davidson^*, Kevin Connolly, James Black, Mairi Spowage

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Letter

Abstract

High-quality regional data is crucial for improving public service delivery, allocating funding and developing evidence-based policies that tackle regional inequalities. Our paper*, published in Regional Studies: Policy Debates, analyses the challenges faced when constructing regional statistics and using these statistics in policy debates. The paper draws on extensive engagement and semi-structured interviews with analysts from the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), devolved administrations (DAs) in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and other regional data stakeholders.

Original language	English
Number of pages	5
No.	21
Specialist publication	Regions eZine
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2025

Keywords

regional data
regional policy
national statistics

Access to Document

Davidson-etal-RSARegions-2025-The-use-and-misuse-of-regional-dataFinal published version, 979 KBLicence: CC BY 4.0

https://regions.regionalstudies.org/ezine/article/issue-21-regional-data-insights-uk/Licence: CC BY 4.0

2 Finished

Northern Ireland Economic Data Innovation Fund
Davidson, S. N. (Principal Investigator) & Connolly, K. (Co-investigator)
Northern Ireland Office NIO
1/11/22 → 31/12/23
Project: Research
Improving the Quality of Regional Economic Indicators: A Scoping Study for the Development of a Suite of Subnational Indicators
Davidson, S. N. (Principal Investigator), Connolly, K. (Co-investigator), Spowage, M. (Co-investigator) & Crummey, C. (Researcher)
20/09/21 → 19/02/22
Project: Research

2 Poster
1 Article

The use and misuse of regional data: perspectives, challenges and policy implications from across the UK
Black, J., Connolly, K., Davidson, S. N. & Spowage, M., 31 Dec 2025, In: Regional Studies. 59, 1, 16 p., 2464102.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
File
Supporting comparative regional analysis across the UK: evaluating the availability, comparability and dissemination of Northern Ireland's socioeconomic data
Catalano, A., Davidson, S. N., Connolly, K. & Crummey, C., 2024.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review
Building a suite of subnational socioeconomic indicators for the United Kingdom: opportunities, challenges and recommendations
Davidson, S. N., Connolly, K., Crummey, C., Brazzelli, N. & Spowage, M., 23 May 2022.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review

Cite this

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title = "The use and misuse of regional data: insights from across the UK",

abstract = "High-quality regional data is crucial for improving public service delivery, allocating funding and developing evidence-based policies that tackle regional inequalities. Our paper*, published in Regional Studies: Policy Debates, analyses the challenges faced when constructing regional statistics and using these statistics in policy debates. The paper draws on extensive engagement and semi-structured interviews with analysts from the UK{\textquoteright}s Office for National Statistics (ONS), devolved administrations (DAs) in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and other regional data stakeholders.",

keywords = "regional data, regional policy, national statistics",

author = "Sharada Davidson and Kevin Connolly and James Black and Mairi Spowage",

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T2 - insights from across the UK

AU - Davidson, Sharada

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AU - Spowage, Mairi

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N2 - High-quality regional data is crucial for improving public service delivery, allocating funding and developing evidence-based policies that tackle regional inequalities. Our paper*, published in Regional Studies: Policy Debates, analyses the challenges faced when constructing regional statistics and using these statistics in policy debates. The paper draws on extensive engagement and semi-structured interviews with analysts from the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), devolved administrations (DAs) in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and other regional data stakeholders.

AB - High-quality regional data is crucial for improving public service delivery, allocating funding and developing evidence-based policies that tackle regional inequalities. Our paper*, published in Regional Studies: Policy Debates, analyses the challenges faced when constructing regional statistics and using these statistics in policy debates. The paper draws on extensive engagement and semi-structured interviews with analysts from the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), devolved administrations (DAs) in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and other regional data stakeholders.

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KW - regional policy

KW - national statistics

M3 - Letter

JO - Regions eZine

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ER -

The use and misuse of regional data: insights from across the UK

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

Northern Ireland Economic Data Innovation Fund

Improving the Quality of Regional Economic Indicators: A Scoping Study for the Development of a Suite of Subnational Indicators

Research output

The use and misuse of regional data: perspectives, challenges and policy implications from across the UK

Supporting comparative regional analysis across the UK: evaluating the availability, comparability and dissemination of Northern Ireland's socioeconomic data

Building a suite of subnational socioeconomic indicators for the United Kingdom: opportunities, challenges and recommendations

Cite this