A Platform for Closing the Open Data Feedback Loop Based on Web2.0 Functionality

Abstract

One essential element of open data ecosystems concerns their development through feedback loops, discussions and dynamic supplier and user interactions. These user-centric features communicate the users’ needs to the open data community as well to the public sector bodies responsible for data publication. Addressing these needs by the corresponding public sector bodies or even by utilising the power of the community as ENGAGE supports will actually accelerate innovation. However, these elements appear barely to be part of existing open data practices. We conducted a survey which showed that most professional open data users did not know at least one open data infrastructure that enabled five specific types of discussion and feedback mechanisms. The survey showed that much can still be done to improve feedback and discussion on open data infrastructures. In this paper we discuss an open data platform which has started to contribute to filling this gap and present a usage scenario explaining the sequence of the underlined functionality. The discussed ENGAGE open data infrastructure combines functionalities to close the feedback loop and to return information to public authorities for better open data use and publication as well as establishing communication channels between stakeholders. This may effectively lead to the stimulation and facilitation of value generation from open data, as such functionality position the user at the centre of the open data publication process.