Affiliations: Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Anneke Zuiderwijk, Delft University of Technology, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, the Netherlands. E-mail:[email protected]
Abstract: The disclosure of open government data is a complex activity that may create
public value yet might also encounter risks, such as the misinterpretation
and misuse of data. While politicians support data release and assume that
the positive value of open data will dominate, many governmental
organizations are reluctant to open their data, as they are afraid of the
dark side. The objective of this paper is to provide a decision-making model
that assists in trade-offs between the pros and cons of open data. Data
disclosure is dependent on the type of data (e.g. its sensitivity, structure
and quality) and the context (e.g. organizational policies, legislation and
the political influences). Based on the literature and fifteen in-depth
interviews with public sector officials and data archivists, this paper
identifies contextual and dataset-related variables which influence a
trade-off. A decision-making model is presented capturing trade-offs, and in
this way providing guidance for weighing the creation of public value and
the risks. The model can be used for decision-making to open or not to open
data. It is likely that the decision regarding which data should be opened
or closed will shift over time.
Keywords: Open data, decision support, data release, trade-offs, positive effects, risks, variables
