In some cases, scholars need to refer to certain government policy documents and reports to collect and/or verify certain information. Scholars may choose to conduct literature searches online, browse governments’ websites, etc. This blog aims to provide a quick guide for scholars who are interested in getting access to Hong Kong’s government documents, especially historical ones.
Make an access to information request
In Hong Kong, the “Code on Access to Information” serves as a formal framework for the public’s access to the information held and maintained by the government departments. This code clarifies the scope of information that can be made available either routinely or upon request. Based on this Code, scholars who want to learn the most recent or historical government documents can send information requests to Access to Information Officers in relevant departments. Their specific email addresses and phone numbers can be found on this webpage. Per my experience of communicating with different government departments, the reply time can be somewhere between a week or three weeks. A phone call would be the most efficient way of getting to know if the documents are available or not.
In addition, if one document is only available in paper versions, scholars can go to the public enquiry counter of the government department for in-person inspection at a selected date. The public enquiry counter can provide a photocopying service if needed. Additionally, the public can also just take photos of the documents they request to inspect by using their digital devices (e.g., phones). I found that seeking advice from the staff at the public enquiry counter is efficient and useful – they can direct you to the right person from the right sub-division of their department for more information.
Government Records Service
Nevertheless, each government department may not hold all policy documents and reports from earlier decades. The best place for looking for such information is the Government Records Service (GRS), an agency that aims to preserve and promote the documentary heritage of Hong Kong.
Scholars (or the public) can start by using the online catalog provided and managed by the GRS to search and identify government documents, reports, and/or maps in need (see picture below). To review one specific document, one has to register an account on the GRS’s website, make a reservation for that document, and then select a date/time that he or she can go to the Hong Kong Public Records Building for inspection. Note that now the GRS only opens 15 seat slots per day.
When conducting a desk review of government documents at the GRS library, one may develop a new list of documents to be checked and reviewed. In such a case, scholars can use the computer at the GRS, log into their registered GRS account, and make a loan request online (this can only be done by using the GRS’s computers). The staff there will help identify and prepare the documents immediately for one’s review and inspection. Nevertheless, when one document is defined as confidential, one will have to submit an access request, with the use of the documents clarified. Relevant government departments and the staff at the GRS will review the case and decide if they could grant access on a case-by-case basis. The review and approval process can take up to a month.
A final note is that the GRS can also provide photocopying and/or digitization services at a set unit price; nevertheless, one can also take a photo of the document using one’s own digital devices (e.g., phones), as long as one signs a form and details the documents that he/she makes a digital copy.
Jingwen Zheng, Ph.D. in Public Policy Program 2024
Sigur Center 2022 Asian Field Research Fellow
Hong Kong SAR, China
