An Integrated Usability Framework for Evaluating Open Government Data Portals: Comparative Analysis of EU and GCC Countries
Name
Fillip Molodtsov
Abstract
This study explores the critical role of open government data (OGD) portals in fostering transparency and collaboration between diverse stakeholders. Recognizing the challenges of usability, communication with diverse populations, and strategic value creation, this paper develops an integrated framework for evaluating OGD portal effectiveness that accommodates user diversity (regardless of their data literacy and language), evaluates collaboration and participation, and the ability of users to explore and understand the data provided through them. The framework is validated by applying it to 33 national portals across
European Union (EU) and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, as a result of which each portal was assessed, statistics about the portal performances were gathered, portals were ranked, best practices and pain points for the portals were derived, trends in portal design and collaborative initiatives between portals were identified, cluster analysis based on the score matrix was conducted. Clustering analyses (K-Means, hierarchical) determine which clusters to consult depending on the dimensions' strengths. Nineteen recommendations have been made based on all the above-mentioned analyses.
Notably, the study unveils the competitive and innovative nature of GCC OGD portals, pinpointing specific areas such as multilingual support and data understandability. The findings underscore the growing trend of exposing data quality metrics and advocate for enhanced communication channels between users and portal representatives. Overall, the study contributes to accelerating the development of user-friendly, collaborative, and sustainable OGD portals while addressing gaps identified in previous research.
European Union (EU) and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, as a result of which each portal was assessed, statistics about the portal performances were gathered, portals were ranked, best practices and pain points for the portals were derived, trends in portal design and collaborative initiatives between portals were identified, cluster analysis based on the score matrix was conducted. Clustering analyses (K-Means, hierarchical) determine which clusters to consult depending on the dimensions' strengths. Nineteen recommendations have been made based on all the above-mentioned analyses.
Notably, the study unveils the competitive and innovative nature of GCC OGD portals, pinpointing specific areas such as multilingual support and data understandability. The findings underscore the growing trend of exposing data quality metrics and advocate for enhanced communication channels between users and portal representatives. Overall, the study contributes to accelerating the development of user-friendly, collaborative, and sustainable OGD portals while addressing gaps identified in previous research.
Graduation Thesis language
English
Graduation Thesis type
Master - Software Engineering
Supervisor(s)
Anastasija Nikiforova
Defence year
2024