Open Government Data and File Formats: Constraints on Collaboration

This exploratory interpretive case study investigated the collaborative potential of open government data available through data.gov, the US federal open data catalog. Open data is a central aspect of open government collaboration because it fosters exchange and communication between governments and the public. Government organizations that release open data make choices about file formats that have a substantial impact on the potential for collaboration. A file format, such as a document or a spreadsheet, is a constraint on which programs can read the file and what actions a user can do with the file. Overall, we found data.gov formats with limited collaboration potential but files that could be accessed by people with a wide range of skills. The findings are incorporated into suggestions for future iterations of open data policy. The advantages and limitations of using file formats for open data research are considered. The exploratory findings raise questions about future user-centric open data evaluations.