Who Are Government OpenData Infomediaries? A Preliminary Scan and Classification of Open Data Users and Products

Abstract

Open data, that is, the provision of government data in a publicly accessible, machine-readable format, with liberal usage terms, has become commonplace. Despite the promise of open data, there are many questions about who is accessing government open data and what they are using it for. This research presents a characterization of the infomediary, a third party who accesses government open data and creates value-added products from it. Using four major Canadian municipal open data providers, we present an information scan and classification of open data infomediaries and the products they create. Five classifications of infomediary are proposed: government, private sector, NGO, academic, and media. Within each of these classifications, the type of infomediary products created and the delivery method used are summarized. Findings from this research indicate a diversity in infomediary actors and products, but that this activity is largely concentrated in government and private sector infomediary types. Further considerations of the impact of infomediary activity on government open data provision are presented as important future directions of research.