Publications

Laria publishes a range of guides, research studies and workshop and conference papers.Those currently available are listed below. Copies may be obtained from

Doris Besford
LARIA Administrator,
1 Henderson Close,
Great Sankey,
Warrington,
WA5 3JJ
Tel: 01925 723539
Email: admin@laria.gov.uk

Cheques with order please, payable to LARIA, or invoice on request.

Research for Policy 2001: Planning with Communities - Partnerships, Consultation, Looking Forward Together: edited by Graham Smith
(Proceedings of the 2001 LARIA Annual Conference) 2002 200pp ISBN 0 9507681 7 0 £35 (£30 for LARIA Corporate Members)

Getting It Right: Including Disabled People in Communication and Consultation:
Philip Cortese and Louisa Nardini (Kirklees Metropolitan Council). May 2002 64pp ISBN 0 950678 189 £30 (£25 to LARIA Corporate Members). To view the Press Release for this publication - click here

LARIA Education and Training Guide.
Published March 1999.
This guide is aimed at individual researchers. It outlines the various structures a researcher may work in and lists a variety of skills that may be necessary and possible ways of filling any skills gaps. It is intended as a 'self help' guide for researchers, but may also be useful for managers who can adapt it for their own circumstances. Sections include: The local authority context; How to identify your training needs; Research Skills; Where to find training and development; and Managing researchers in local government. The guide is available for £20 including post and packing from the Laria Administrator (details at the top of this page).

Research for Policy 96: Future of Research in Local Government; Poverty, Deprivation & Social Exclusion; Population & Census; Regeneration & Bidding for Funding; the Internet
(Proceedings of the 1996 LARIA Annual Conference)
Sept 1996 142pp ISBN 1 85795 053 4 £25

Research for Policy 97: Research & Local Government; Housing; Population & Economic Forecasting; Consultation, Community Involvement and Participation; Research Skills
(Proceedings of the 1997 LARIA Annual Conference)
Sept 1997 132pp ISBN 1 85795 098 4 £25

Research for Policy 98: The Government's New Agenda for Local Authorities; and New Research (Proceedings of the 1998 LARIA Annual Conference). Pub 1999 114pp ISBN 1 85795 100 X. £25

Research for Policy 2000: Best Research for Best Value: edited by Graham Smith. (Proceedings of the 2000 LARIA Annual Conference). Pub 2000 130pp ISBN 1 85795 101 8. £30.

Census Small Area Indicators of Poverty and Deprivation:
Methodological Issues
(Papers from the LARIA/Manchester Census Group Workshops held in February and March 1993)
July 1993 80pp ISBN 0 95076 812 X £10

Research & Intelligence and Change in Local Government: Opportunity, threat or challenge?
(Proceedings of the inaugural conference of LARIA in Scotland)
August 1994 32pp ISBN 0 95076 813 8 £10

Census Special Statistics on Migration, Workplace, and Students
(A collection of workshop papers)
April 1995 100pp ISBN 0 95076 814 6 £15

Guidelines for Commissioning Research (by LARIA and LGMB)
April 1996 40pp £10

Research on the Net (Proceedings of a Joint LARIA and LGIS Conference)
May 1996 24pp £15 (£8 on disc or £19 for both)

Hands On! Research Skills for the Internet (Proceedings of a Joint LARIA & ScrEAM Technology Workshop 6 Nov 1996)
Dec 97 21pp £8

Making Local Population Statistics: a guide for practitioners
(Edited by Stephen Simpson for the Estimating with Confidence project)
Apr 98 228pp £40 ISBN 0 950 76816 2

Statutory Requirements for Research: A Review of Responsibilities for English and Welsh Local Government
(William Solesbury & Lesley Grayson for LARIA/LGA, September 2003, LGA Research Briefing 7.03, ISBN 1 84049 340 2)

This report provides a comprehensive check-list of explicit and implicit legislative requirements for research ranging across all local government services. With around 150 Acts of Parliament scanned, the report is a valuable tool to guide and support local authorities in developing and maintaining a research capacity.

To view the press release for the report – click here

The report is freely available – click here (pdf 261k)


Creating Effective Research in Local Government: A Toolkit

This toolkit is the final output from a piece of work commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Local Authorities Research and Intelligence Association (LARIA). This work has examined what constitutes effectiveness in relation to local authority research and has analysed the extent to which local authority research currently meets these criteria of effectiveness.

This toolkit is primarily intended to be used by local government researchers and research managers, however it may also be of interest and use to senior officers and elected members involved in research. The toolkit can be downloaded from the LGA website at http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/publications/publication-display.do?id=22546


Managing Research In Local Government - A Good Practice Guide by Bryan Hall

LARIA is pleased to present a new guide on Managing Research in Local Government, written by Bryan Hall, a former Chair of LARIA and Research and Intelligence Manager with Cheshire County Council. The guide provides a detailed insight into a research manager’s role, to which both current and potential managers can look for practical guidance.

To download a copy, click here. (.pdf 1.30Mb)


Research Contacts List

One of the aims of LARIA is to encourage networking amongst local government researchers, and one way of helping to achieve that is by the publication of a list of research contacts in local authorities and in other organisations where local government research is undertaken. LARIA has therefore decided to make available to its members, extracts from its membership list.

The Research Contacts List (available in Excel format) contains the name, job title, department, organisation, telephone number and research interests of LARIA members (where approval of publication has been given). The listing is intended to help LARIA members make contact with other researchers with similar interests. It is not intended as a mailing list for commercial purposes (no postal or email addresses are contained on the file, only telephone numbers). It is available only to LARIA members, whether they be Full Members, Associate Members or named under Corporate Membership. It will be updated regularly. The Research Contacts List can be obtained free of charge from Doris Besford, the LARIA Administrator on request admin@laria.gov.uk


LARIA Annual Review
LARIA publishes an Annual Review on this website. The latest edition is for 2007/2008 - please click here

LariaNews
LARIA also publishes a newsletter. Click here for details.

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