Benchmarking open government: An open data perspective

This paper presents a benchmark proposal for the Open Government and its application from the open data perspective using data available on the U.S. government's open data portal (data.gov). The benchmark is developed over the adopted Open Government conceptual model, which describes Open Government through data openness, transparency, participation and collaboration. Resulting in two measures, that is, one known as the e-government openness index (eGovOI) and the other Maturity, the benchmark indicates the progress of government over time, the efficiency of recognizing and implementing new concepts and the willingness of the government to recognize and embrace innovative ideas.     

A promising phenomenon of open data: A case study of the Chicago open data project

This article presents a case study of the open data project in the Chicago area. The main purpose of the research is to explore empowering potential of an open data phenomenon at the local level as a platform useful for promotion of civic engagement projects and provide a framework for future research and hypothesis testing. Today the main challenge in realization of any e-government projects is a traditional top–down administrative mechanism of their realization itself practically without any input from members of the civil society. In this respect, the author of the article argues that the open data concept realized at the local level may provide a real platform for promotion of proactive civic engagement. By harnessing collective wisdom of the local communities, their knowledge and visions of the local challenges, governments could react and meet citizens' needs in a more productive and cost-efficient manner. Open data-driven projects that focused on visualization of environmental issues, mapping of utility management, evaluating of political lobbying, social benefits, closing digital divide, etc. are only some examples of such perspectives. These projects are perhaps harbingers of a new political reality where interactions among citizens at the local level will play a more important role than communication between civil society and government due to the empowering potential of the open data concept.     

Relevant social groups for open data use and engagement

The opening up of public sector data has provided a new data resource for the citizens. However, the use of open data and its consequent societal value has proved not to be as extensive as initially hoped for, although multiple innovations have emerged; rather it is still considered problematic, and knowledge about open data use is scarce. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to clarify open data use and engagement by people outside the public sector, especially what motives exists and how different user types align to these motives. To achieve this, a document analysis has been carried out of reported use cases identified in EU topic reports between 2014 and 2016. By applying the theory of Relevant Social Groups (RSG), which focuses on the people's interpretation of the purpose with the technology, we identified five RSGs representing overall motives for open data use: 1) Exploring for creativity, 2) Creating business value, 3) Enabling local citizen value, 4) Addressing global societal challenges, and 5) Advocating the open data agenda. We also discuss differences between the relevant social groups and the included user types, issues and implications for understanding the evolvement of the open data field, and suggests research ahead.     

Towards open development: Leveraging open data to improve the planning and coordination of international aid

The purpose of this article is to examine how aid agencies are strategically leveraging open data to improve the effectiveness of aid. Recognizing the vital role of information in international development, aid agencies have eagerly begun to adopt the tools of Open Government within the context of development (i.e. “Open Development”). Examining this trend, the author finds much scope for open data to support the development community's commitment to improving the effectiveness of aid by adopting a more systematic, coherent, and strategic approach to aid delivery (known as the “aid effectiveness” agenda). An investigation of the current state of the art finds that open data has made significant contributions towards realizing this more integrated vision of aid delivery, but that much of open data's potential remains unexplored. In particular, the use of open data is still largely focused on supporting after-the-fact reporting functions, overlooking its potential to enable integrated strategic planning and improved coordination across the full spectrum of development actors.     

Freedom of information and ‘vexatious’ requests — The case of Scottish local government

This paper investigates the cost and incidence of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests within councils in Scotland and in particular, the cost and incidence of requests which have been defined as ‘vexatious’ in order to investigate if the negative perceptions surrounding the cost and misuse of the legislation are justified. Additionally, the criteria and guidelines that councils are using to define ‘vexatious’ are also examined. The approach taken to the research in this study is a survey of the 32 councils in Scotland using freedom of information requests as the data collection method.     

美国信息公开制度的建立与发展动向

信息公开制度是政府信息资源开发利用领域中重要的法律保证。本文以美国《信息自由法》为基础,阐述美国建立信息公开制度的原因、过程和发展动向。     

美国政府信息公开制度述评

文章系统梳理了美国政府信息公开制度的发展过程,着重介绍了美国《信息自由法》的出台背景、基本原则、公开的范围、豁免公开的信息类型、公开的程序、救济措施、实施过程和修订情况,分析了美国政府信息公开制度的突出特点以及对我国建立和完善政府信息公开制度的借鉴意义。     

政府信息资源的物品属性分析

政府信息资源的物品属性就是政府信息资源与经济学中三种物品相似的属性,不同的物品属性具有不同的激励功能。对政府信息资源的三种物品属性及其激励功能进行深入分析,有助于更为全面地把握政府信息资源的本质,更为准确地评价具有不同物品属性的政府信息资源,从而采取不同的机制对政府信息资源进行开发与提供。     

图书馆政府决策信息采集分析

政府决策信息采集具有全面性、针对性、时效性等要求。文章对政府决策信息的三种信息源,即新闻媒体信息源、网络信息源及数据库信息源的特点及其检索策略进行分析,指出图书馆政府信息采集将向网络化、合作化、专题化、制度化方向发展的趋势。     

公共危机管理中政府信息公开存在的问题与对策

文章分析了政府信息公开在公共危机管理中的作用,指出公共危机管理中政府信息公开存在的问题,并从制度、法律、政府、媒体、公民等多方面,提出加强公共危机管理中政府信息快速、高效公开的对策。     

Information governance,records management,and freedom of information: A study of local government authorities in England

In many democratic states political rhetoric gives weight to increasing public participation in and understanding of the political process; (re)-establishing public trust in government decision making; increasing transparency, openness, and accountability of public authorities; and, ultimately, improving government decision-making on behalf of citizens. Access to the public record and freedom of information (FOI) are mechanisms which help to facilitate the accountability of public authorities. Many jurisdictions have introduced legislation related to these mechanisms, and the UK government is no exception with its enactment of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in 2000. University College London (UCL) ran a research project over 12 months in 2008–2009, funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council. The research project examined what the impact of the UK FOIA had been on records management services in public authorities, especially local government. This article reports on some of the findings of the study. It considers how FOI compliance and records management functions are organized in local government and the role of information governance which is emerging as an umbrella for such functions. It draws some conclusions about the contributions that records management services make to the ability of local authorities to comply with the FOIA and identifies some ways in which user experience may be affected by the management of records.     

Exploring open government data capacity of government agency: Based on the resource-based theory

Open government data (OGD) are valued by many countries and governments worldwide because of its important political, economic, and social benefits. Based on the resource-based theory, we construct a research model from the aspects of tangible, intangible, and human resources, as well as organizational culture to explore the factors that influence open government data capacity (OGDC). Results indicate that data variables, basic resources, organizational arrangement and technical capacity are directly related to the OGDC of government agencies; power distance negatively moderates the relationship between organizational structure and OGDC; uncertainty avoidance moderates the relationship among basic resources, organizational arrangement and OGDC. On this basis, we put forward relevant suggestions for the following development of OGD.     

Freedom of information legislation and its impact on press freedom: A cross-national study

This empirical study examines the effect of the Freedom of Information legislation on press freedom by analyzing cross-sectional data at the national level of aggregate indicators across 191 countries in 2010. The prediction by two-stage least square regression found that the impact of the legislation on press freedom is determined by control of corruption, the type of political regime (democratic or authoritarian regime), and the level of national economy. For recent adopters of the legislation, it could be no more than a legislative luxury. As the legislative effect on press freedom is mostly limited to less corrupt, advanced industrial democracies, the workings of the legislation require political and economic prerequisites.     

政府信息资源供给的市场机制研究

借助市场力量进行政府信息资源的开发与供给已经成为满足公众多元政府信息需求的重要途径。本文分析了政府信息资源供给中市场机制的介入理由、供给优势、意涵和具体作用形式。     

The relationship between national and institutional electronic library developments in the UK: An overview (1)

This paper describes the background, processes and outcomes of the European Commission funded EQUINOX project, which recommended a set of fourteen performance indicators for electronic library services. Each of the recommended indicators is described and the thinking behind them, together with issues raised during consultations with the library community in Europe, is explained. Finally, it is noted that further work will be needed to link performance indicators to new models of libraries which fully describe their roles and functions in a networked information world.     

On making public policy with publicly available data: The case of U.S. communications policymaking

A fundamental principle of public policymaking should be that public policy must be made with publicly available data. This article develops this position and applies it to an assessment of the current state of communications policymaking, a policy area in which controversies surrounding the transparency of policy research and the accessibility of policy-relevant data have been both common and extremely contentious in recent years. This article provides a detailed assessment of the challenges confronting greater transparency and accessibility of communications policy-relevant data, as well as a detailed set of proposals for improving the current situation, in an effort to build towards an environment in which public policy is made with publicly available data.     

The strategic importance of information policy for the contemporary neoliberal state: The case of Open Government Data in the United Kingdom

The article analyses the role of Open Government Data policy as part of the broader public policy agenda of the UK government. A thematic analysis of interview, observational and policy documentation is presented which suggests that since 2010 the Open Government Data agenda has been used strategically by the UK's centre-right coalition government to progress a range of controversial policies, which are aimed at the continuation of the neoliberal form of state through its current crisis. Specifically, the relationship between Open Government Data policy and the neoliberal objectives of the marketisation of public services and privatisation of public assets, the leveraging of financial markets and the pharmaceutical industry, and the embedding of OGD into a broader agenda aimed at rebuilding trust in political elites are analysed. These findings are examined in relation to Braman's (2006, 2011) arguments regarding the strategic implementation of information policy by Governments in the exercising of state power, and the development of the ‘informational state’.     

面向数字人文的图书馆开放数据服务研究——以上海图书馆开放数据应用开发竞赛为例

数字人文是数字图书馆建设的趋势,由于图书馆的社会性和图书馆作为知识保存与传播中心的职能,数据开放是图书馆尤其是公共图书馆的使命。有着规范化、标准化结构和语义的数据是图书馆为研究人员提供数字人文服务的基础,也是在互联网上为第三方开发人员提供开放数据服务的基础。本文从内容、平台、服务三个方面入手,调研与借鉴海外成熟案例,提出以平台为基础支撑,内容、服务模式为核心的面向数字人文的图书馆开放数据服务框架,并以上海图书馆的开放数据应用开发竞赛为例,试图为国内图书馆界提供具有实际可行性的实现方案和实施案例。