I’m still developing the exact focus of this study – and I anticipate that the particular questions that will get the most focus in analysis won’t fully be settled until I’ve at least been able to run the pilot survey. However, I was reminded today that I was supposed to submit an project title and brief summary for the project by last Friday, and so, today (Monday evening) I’ve put together a quick snap-shot of the current outline title and project overview.
Title: Open Data Impacts: Motivation and mediation in the sharing and use of open raw data public sector information resources.
National and local government open data initiatives in the United Kingdom have been gathering pace over the last year, with the release of thousands of datasets of Public Sector Information (PSI) in raw data formats. A number of arguments for providing such raw data are advanced, including the anticipated economic benefits from data re-use, and the potential for local and national democratic renewal through increased transparency and resources for data-supported social innovation. This study will set out to conduct a preliminary mapping exercise of the current supply and use of government open data in the UK, and to explore factors that influence the mediation of data (for example, the construction of web services or tools to simplify end-use) and the end-user applications to which data is put.
The study will consider a range of key questions, including: What factors explain the particular datasets that are published through open government data projects? And which factors account for the format and structure in which data is provided? What factors influence the use that developers and end-users make of open government data?
The supply of data will primarily be explored through analysis of existing literature and public records gathered from publicly accessible mailing lists, blogs, micro-blogs and reports. The use of data will be explored through an online survey, interviews and participant observation at open data workshops.
What do you think? Are these the right questions to be asking? Are there more important things to explore? Or is some of this work going on elsewhere that I should be drawing upon?
All input always welcome…
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