Open government data intermediaries: a terminology framework

The use of public sector data, in an open and machine readable format, is said to contribute not only to public accountability but also to economic growth. In particular, the potential for open government data to generate data-driven entrepreneurship and scientific discovery has been the focus of much attention by both scholars and policy makers. In this article, we analyze the current perspectives on open government data intermediaries. Since it is a very recent phenomenon, the terminology used in this field is not clear, often leading to different terms being confused or used interchangeably. The framework proposed here is meant as an aid in the development of a coherent terminology for describing, comparing and discussing different approaches to these services.