Special Issue on Transparency and Open Data Policies: Guest Editors´ Introduction

Literature e.g., [27], [33], [46], [56], [70] and policy reports e.g., [18], [19]-[21], [49], [50], [62] suggest that open data can be used as a tool to enhance transparency.However, several researchers have challenged the idea that the release of government data will result in increased transparency [3], [34] and the idea that transparency automatically leads to more trust in the government [28].Moreover, transparency may have undesired effects [60].Limited research has been conducted on these sometimes conflicting findings and challenges, and on how open data policies should deal with this.It is not clear what encompasses an effective open data policy and how this influences transparency.The papers in this special issue contribute to this area.In the introduction of this special issue we present the state-of-the-art with regard to definitions, developments, research, challenges and barriers related to open data transparency and open data policies.Finally, a summary of the papers included in this special issue is provided.This special issue forms a series of two special issues on open data.In the previous special issue Innovation Through Open Data: A Review of the State-of-the-Art and an Emerging Research Agenda the state-of-the-art with respect to understanding the context of open data innovation, developments, challenges and barriers was discussed.Moreover, the previous special issue gave an overview of open data research and outlined emerging research directions [73].The first issue emphasized research on the relationship between innovation and open data [73], while this second issue focuses on transparency and open data policies. Open Data TransparencyIn this section we first discuss various definitions of transparency.Subsequently, developments, research, barriers and challenges related to open data transparency are described.