With information now so accessible, it’s easy to assume that whenever you have a question you can simply tap it into a search engine. But, while the internet and digital search tools are undoubtedly useful for checking basic facts, when it comes to serious research, “just Googling it” is not enough.

Bringing different sources of information together, for a project or to prepare for a meeting, takes time, persistence and skill. Which is where the experience of information professionals really counts.

The Knowledge Exchange

For over fifty years, the Idox information service – today known as The Knowledge Exchange – has been gathering, processing, storing, retrieving and delivering information for public and private organisations across the UK.

Policy makers and practitioners from local authorities, devolved administrations, central government, universities, think tanks, consultancies and charities rely on our services to keep themselves up-to-date with ever-changing developments in public and social policy and practice.

Our team of researchers is a successful mix of experienced public policy specialists and qualified librarians, together with our invaluable support staff. We collect, categorise, store and distribute information on a wide range of subjects, from education and health to economic development and housing.

From times past to the here-and-now

Our database contains thousands of journal articles and reports. Some of these date back to the 1990s, but they also include the most recently published research. This means it’s possible to chart changes in policies under different administrations, from the past right up to the present day, and to take a longer view of significant developments. For example, from the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve gathered reports and articles that describe its continuing impact on health, education, work and the economy.

In addition to bibliographic details, each of our database records includes an abstract that succinctly and accurately encapsulates the content of the full text, which can often help the reader decide if they’d like to know more.

Our weekly bulletin provides a snapshot of new additions to the database, and the fortnightly Topic Updates package the information into helpful categories for clients who want to focus on, for example, planning, rural development, children and young people, or transport. The Topic Updates also reflect political, economic, social and environmental changes; in recent years we’ve introduced additional updates on Brexit, Covid-19, mental health and net zero.

Question time

While our subscribers have direct access to the database to perform their own searches, they can also ask our team of Research Officers to conduct a search for them. The following examples demonstrate just how varied are the enquiries we receive:

• Designing pedestrianised zones to improve the safety of women
• Biometric data retention schemes
• Evidence on how regional skills systems can support local economic growth
• Impacts of housing issues on employment
• Policies for addressing economic inactivity in the UK and Europe
• Effects of maternity leave on maternal health, employment, childhood development
• Effective examples of kindness and wellbeing interventions in large organisations
• Impact of parental engagement on children’s learning or attainment
• Examples of transformation in the public sector
• Social impacts of offshore wind

These are just a fraction of the searches we’ve been asked to conduct over the past twelve months. In 2023, we responded to almost 600 enquiries, and 2024 is already shaping up to be another busy year.

Final thoughts

It’s fair to say that The Knowledge Exchange is unique, which perhaps explains why so many of our subscribers have renewed their subscriptions, year after year – even in the face of challenging budgetary pressures. They know the value of reliable evidence in making informed decisions, some of which will affect millions of people. 

We’d like to thank our loyal subscribers for making good use of our services, and we look forward to welcoming more organisations who are keen to harness the power of information.

If you’d like to find out more about subscribing to The Knowledge Exchange, please contact us at: iu@idoxgroup.com

Photo by Marcel Eberle on Unsplash