Does open data increase government accountability?

Abstract

This project concerns itself with the impact of open data on government accountability. It critically assesses open data’s ability to increase the accountability of government in practice. The study offers insight into the positive dividends and potentially negative consequences of open data. It considers the potential barriers to open data’s increased dissemination and its subsequent use. The project questions the appropriateness of open data dissemination as a means of enhancing the transparency and accountability of government. It positions 21st century open government data developments within the wider democracy, transparency, and accountability literature. It represents a cross-disciplinary perspective that marries social science insights with advances in technology as a means of advancing the field. The project operates on the basis of a comparative case study. The British and Irish parliaments and their respective committee systems are the central sites of analysis.

Date of Award	Dec 2020
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Sponsors	Queen's University Belfast
Supervisor	Muiris MacCarthaigh (Supervisor) & Deepak Padmanabhan (Supervisor)