Exploring the Emerging Impacts of Open Data in Developing Countries (ODDC)

From March 2013 to June 2014, 17 developing-country-based research partners were supported with funding, mentoring, and networking (via the Open Data Research Network website) opportunities to explore emerging supply, use, and impacts of open data in specific settings. This first phase focused on qualitative case-study-led research. The case studies, each designed by local partners and informed by Network and regional meetings held around the world, cover issues ranging from budget and aid data to higher education statistics and local government transparency. These case studies examine initiatives, the governance challenges they propose to address, and emerging outcomes and impacts from the application of open data in these contexts. One overriding finding: "Although in some settings researchers have found evidence that open data is being used, and has led to outputs in the form of applications being built or new analysis carried out, in general, examples of, and outcomes from, the direct use of open data are limited. However, open data interventions are not without effects and developing country interest in using open data approaches to address governance and development challenges was evident."

In addition to these case studies, the project is developing cross-cutting data collection instruments and analysis approaches to help explain if and how open data is bringing change to developing countries. For example, the project posted on its website "Sharing and Dissemination of Research Data: Some Useful Methods and Tools", which shares the results from a monthly web meeting hosted by the Web Foundation along with the research partners on April 15 2014. Sample insight: "It's important for researchers to consider when publishing whether the journals they are submitting research to might restrict access to the publications, through claiming copyright and only making articles available for a fee. Sometimes it is important for researchers to publish in high-ranked journals that are not open access, but in these cases, researchers should still look for 'hybrids': journals where the article would be open access upon payment of an author fee, or where the author has rights to archive pre-print copies of the papers. A number of tools exist to help researchers locate journals to publish in..."

Finally, ODDC is engaging with global and local policymaking and practice in an effort to improve developmental outcomes of the initiatives described in the case studies. For details on these activities, visit the ODDC website and/or see the contact information, below, to request more information.

Right to Information

In outlining its research agenda, ODDC defines open data as data that is:

• Generally accessible online, as evidenced by, for example, its inclusion in a national data portal or the fact that it is being widely accessed by a range of actors operating independently of one another;
• Machine readable, as evidenced by the use of non-proprietary digital formats, with the data being structured in ways that allow it to be filtered, sorted, reshaped, and manipulated without copying/pasting or re-typing in data; and
• Practically/legally re-useable, which may involve the availability of an open license that grants explicit permissions or that may involve the existence of wider legal or cultural frameworks that enables the practical re-use of the data.

ODDC states that these definitions are not specific to government data but recognise that the data in use in developing countries (and, for that matter, developed countries) in processes of transparency and accountability, inclusion and empowerment, and innovation and economic development "may not only come from government. International agencies, local civil society and the private sector can all form an important part of the data landscape; and in exploring the emerging impacts of open data it is important to adopt definitions that do not exclude this data from focus."