Identifying the business model dimensions of data sharing: A value‐based approach

This study aimed to investigate the underlying business model of organizations that have data sharing at the core of their activities. Previous work has stressed that data‐sharing projects need to be sustainable in the long term, and highlighted the need for a deeper understanding of the operation model of existing data‐sharing initiatives. To investigate this important issue, we took a qualitative approach to uncover the dynamics of value creation in data sharing. Using a case study method, we examined two data‐sharing sites across different areas. We conducted semistructured interviews with managers from data centers and other stakeholders, and reviewed documents about the technical and managerial practices to determine the main characteristics of their business models. In addition, we applied the e3‐value modeling methodology to tease out the value flows within each site. Our findings demonstrated the importance of the value network dimension of a business model, as data sharing relies on a set of actors creating and getting value in the process, and the significance of intangible assets. The main contributions of this study include extending current understanding on data‐sharing business models by analyzing key dimensions, and uncovering how value is created and transferred in data sharing.

[1]  P. Hanna.  Using internet technologies (such as Skype) as a research medium: a research note , 2012 .

[2]  Matthew S. Mayernik,et al.  Research data and metadata curation as institutional issues , 2016, J. Assoc. Inf. Sci. Technol..

[3]  D. Teece.  Business Models, Business Strategy and Innovation , 2010 .

[4]  J. Magretta.  Why business models matter. , 2002, Harvard business review.

[5]  Jaap Gordijn,et al.  Value-based requirements engineering: exploring innovative e-commerce ideas , 2003, Requirements Engineering.

[6]  F. Boons,et al.  Sustainable innovation, business models and economic performance: an overview , 2013 .

[7]  Jeremy P. Birnholtz,et al.  Data at work: supporting sharing in science and engineering , 2003, GROUP.

[8]  Tobias Bachmeier,et al.  Business Model Generation A Handbook For Visionaries Game Changers And Challengers , 2016 .

[9]  Heting Chu.  Research methods in library and information science: A content analysis , 2015 .

[10]  Murugan Anandarajan.  e-Research Collaboration: Theory, Techniques and Challenges , 2010 .

[11]  Richard E. Boyatzis,et al.  Transforming Qualitative Information: Thematic Analysis and Code Development , 1998 .

[12]  Colin R. Groom,et al.  A crystallographic perspective on sharing data and knowledge , 2014, Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design.

[13]  Mutaz M. Al-Debei,et al.  Developing a unified framework of the business model concept , 2010, Eur. J. Inf. Syst..

[14]  Lei Wu,et al.  Managing scientific data as public assets: Data sharing practices and policies among full‐time government employees , 2014, J. Assoc. Inf. Sci. Technol..

[15]  Eric K. Clemons,et al.  Business Models for Monetizing Internet Applications and Web Sites: Experience, Theory, and Predictions , 2009, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[16]  Dipak Kalra,et al.  The KRDS Benefit Analysis Toolkit: Development and Application , 2012, Int. J. Digit. Curation.

[17]  M. Rappa.  Business Models on the Web , 2008 .

[18]  Jane Kaye,et al.  Data sharing policy design for consortia: challenges for sustainability , 2014, Genome Medicine.

[19]  Ayse Guclu,et al.  The Process of Social Entrepreneurship: Creating Opportunities Worthy of Serious Pursuit , 2002 .

[20]  Gobinda G. Chowdhury,et al.  Sustainability of digital information services , 2013, J. Documentation.

[21]  Frank H. Allen,et al.  Cambridge Structural Database , 2002 .

[22]  D. Rosenthal,et al.  The Economics of Long-Term Digital Storage , 2012 .

[23]  D. Rubinfeld.  Sustainable Economics for a Digital Planet: Ensuring Long-term Access to Digital Information , 2010 .

[24]  K. Eisenhardt.  Building theories from case study research , 1989, STUDI ORGANIZZATIVI.

[25]  V. Allee.  Value network analysis and value conversion of tangible and intangible assets , 2008 .

[26]  Tomas Sabol,et al.  Business Models for the Internet of Things Environment , 2014 .

[27]  M. Anandarajan.  e-Research Collaboration , 2010 .

[28]  John P. A. Ioannidis,et al.  A manifesto for reproducible science , 2017, Nature Human Behaviour.

[29]  C. Villiers,et al.  Telephonic qualitative research interviews: when to consider them and how to do them , 2017 .

[30]  Mary Anne Kennan,et al.  Data sharing for the advancement of science: Overcoming barriers for citizen scientists , 2016, J. Assoc. Inf. Sci. Technol..

[31]  Daniel Castro,et al.  Open Data in the G8: A Review of Progress on the Open Data Charter , 2015 .

[32]  N. Patel,et al.  A value chain model for mobile data service providers , 2002 .

[33]  Dirk Pilat,et al.  OECD Principles and Guidelines for Access to Research Data from Public Funding , 2007, Data Sci. J..

[34]  Tobias Mettler,et al.  A “design-pattern”-based approach for analyzing e-health business models , 2012 .

[35]  C. Cocklin,et al.  Conceptualizing a “Sustainability Business Model” , 2008 .

[36]  Christine Nadel,et al.  Case Study Research Design And Methods , 2016 .

[37]  C. Tenopir,et al.  Data Sharing by Scientists: Practices and Perceptions , 2011, PloS one.

[38]  V. Allee.  RECONFIGURING THE VALUE NETWORK , 2000 .

[39]  R. Amit,et al.  The Business Model: Recent Developments and Future Research , 2011 .

[40]  Uwe Fink.  E Research Collaboration Theory Techniques And Challenges , 2016 .

[41]  Lorne Campbell,et al.  Enhancing Transparency of the Research Process to Increase Accuracy of Findings: A Guide for Relationship Researchers , 2014 .

[42]  Eric K. Clemons,et al.  Business Models , 2014, Bus. Inf. Syst. Eng..

[43]  Judith E. Sturges,et al.  Comparing Telephone and Face-to-Face Qualitative Interviewing: a Research Note , 2004 .

[44]  D. Teece,et al.  Intangible Assets and a Theory of Heterogeneous Firm , 2018 .

[45]  Diego Scardaci,et al.  e-Infrastructures for e-Science: A Global View , 2011, Journal of Grid Computing.

[46]  R. Amit,et al.  Value creation in E‐business , 2001 .

[47]  Brian Matthews,et al.  Modelling Data Value in Digital Preservation , 2013, iPRES.

[48]  Salvatore Mele,et al.  Enabling Sharing and Reuse of Scientific Data , 2014 .