The purpose of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is to give people the right of access to information held by organisations that receive public funds, such as central government departments, local authorities, police forces, health services, schools, and universities etc.
The legislation was fully introduced in January 2005 with the intention of promoting better public understanding of how these organisations carry out their duties, why they make the decisions they do, and how they spend tax-payers' money.
Freedom of Information (FOI) gives everyone, both inside and outside the University, a right of access to recorded information held by Sheffield Hallam University. It covers all electronic and paper records and information held by Sheffield Hallam University, whether current or archived. This right of access is subject to certain exemptions. Sheffield Hallam University is committed to promoting a culture of openness and accountability and has a duty to help you understand your rights and responsibilities under this legislation and to explain how you can exercise those rights and fulfil your responsibilities.
You can access information in two ways:
Using AI to help draft information requests?
AI tools can be helpful, but they can also introduce errors or create overly complex requests that increase the burden on public bodies and cost to the taxpayer.
When using AI to help draft an information request, please make sure the final wording has been checked and reflects your actual information needs.
Before you submit a request or secondary correspondence, please check that:
You are only asking for the information you are genuinely looking for.
AI tools sometimes generate broad or excessive wording that goes beyond the information you actually want or need;
The request is clear, concise and focused.
Short, straightforward requests are easier for us to process and usually lead to quicker, more accurate responses;
There are no obvious factual inaccuracies.
AI can misrepresent legislation or misstate what organisations do. Please review the text of your request carefully and don’t assume AI is right. If it has referred to something you don’t understand, check what it is; and
The tone is appropriate.
AI-generated content can sometimes sound abrupt, or otherwise inappropriate. Please check the tone before sending.
Why does this matter?
We are seeing an increase in requests and secondary correspondence that appear to have been drafted by generative AI. These can require additional clarification because of inaccuracies or unnecessary complexity. This creates delays for both requesters and our teams.
Need guidance?
You can find advice on making effective information requests on the Information Commissioner’s Office website.
