We are pleased to announce that the second Open Data Research Symposium (#ODRS16) will be held on October 5, 2016 prior to the International Open Data Conference 2016 in Madrid, Spain.

Call for Abstracts

Deadline: May 30, 2016

As open data becomes entrenched in the policy mainstream, there is an ongoing need to delve deeper into the dynamics of open data practice. At the same time, there is a need to maintain a critical perspective and to develop empirically-tested theories on open data.
Researchers across the world have been exploring various issues around the supply, use and impact of open data. The Second Open Data Research Symposium offer researchers an opportunity to share their research and to formulate the open data research agenda.
In due course, we will be inviting input from the open data community on how they would like to shape the open data research agenda.
Submissions that reflect critically on the following themes are invited:

• Theoretical framing of open data as a concept and a movement;
• Use and impacts of open data in specific countries or specific sectors;
• The making, implementation, and institutionalisation of open data policy;
• Capacity-building for wider availability and use of open data;
• Conceptualising open data ecosystems and intermediaries;
• Entrepreneurial usage and open data economies in developing countries;
• Linkages between transparency, freedom of information and open data communities;
• Measurement of open data policy and practices, including methods for assessing the impact of open data;
• Critical challenges for open data: privacy, exclusion and abuse; and
• Situating open data in the global governance and developmental contexts.

Submissions are invited from all disciplines, though with an emphasis on empirical social research. Doctoral students and early-career researchers are particularly encouraged to submit abstracts.

Submission Details

Extended abstracts in English of up to 1,200 words, detailing the question addressed by the research, methods employed and findings should be submitted via the EasyChair website by May 30, 2016.
Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to submit full papers. Full papers of accepted abstracts will be due by September 1, 2016.

Logistics

Travel support is available for selected presenters from developing countries.
Accepted papers will be published in a peer reviewed open access journal or conference proceedings.

Programming Committee

• Stefaan Verhulst (The GovLab, NYU Tandon School of Engineering) (Co-chair)
• Francois van Schalkwyk (World Wide Web Foundation & Stellenbosch University) (Co-chair)
• Katie Clancy (IDRC/OD4D)
• Emmy Chirchir (Munster University)
• Gisele Craveiro (University of Sao Paulo)
• Tim Davies (University of Southampton)
• Kyujin Jung (Tennessee State University)
• Gustavo Magalhaes (UT Austin | Portugal CoLab)
• Michelle McLeod (University of the West Indies)
• Fernando Perini (IDRC)
• Stefania Milan (University of Amsterdam)
• Andrew Young (The GovLab, NYU Tandon School of Engineering)

For further information on ODRS16, including the call for abstracts, key dates, venue or any other details, please contact either Francois or Stefaan, or visit the symposium website.