Call for papers - Special Issue Vol. 3 (2):

Open Government and Open Information

Guest Editors
Olivier Glassey, IDHEAP, Lausanne (olivier.glassey@idheap.unil.ch)
Theresa Pardo, Center for Technology in Government, University at Albany, State University of New York (tpardo@ctg.albany.edu)
Efthimios Tambouris, University of Macedonia (tambouris@uom.gr)

Concepts and policies that emphasise the idea of openness (Open Government, Open Data, Open Access) are currently discussed with view to their potential to strengthen transparency and accountability. They are seen as promising ideas for the vitalisation of citizens’ interest in politics, but also for economic and scientific innovation. These developments are expected to lead to more engagement and collaboration within public institutions and the development of respective tools and services.

Topics include, but are not limited to:

* The transformation of governments and politics through Open Government
* Public policies for open information and adaption
* New forms of content production and collaboration
* The changing relation between the citizen, the state and ICT
* The challenges, hurdles and risks of Open Data and open information
* Strategies of publishing information and their evaluation
* Re-examination of the concept of the Digital Divide with view to open information policies
* Governmentality and surveillance, data privacy and protection
* Issues and cases of Open Government Data for the provision of added value services
* Technological and organizational issues of existing Open Government Data initiatives such as data.gov and data.gov.uk

In particular, the call wishes to address the following questions on the intersection of social sciences and technology:

* Has the emphasis on openness brought new imperatives and state philosophies on the table? To what extent will it influence existing cultures and politics?
* How are these concepts perceived and evaluated by politicians and stakeholders?
* What is the future of Open Data and open information in an era of budgetary constraints?
* Which new technical developments based on open information are promising and why?
* What is the effect on the increasing use of Data on the Digital Divide (Open Data Divide) or content production (Data journalism)?
* How can Open Government Data applications transform our everyday life?
* Which strategies of implementation and policy making are known and should be applied?

Relevant articles from international and interdisciplinary perspectives are welcomed from across the social and technical sciences. We also encourage authors to hand in policy papers and case studies as well as a critical reflection of existing methods and approaches.

Submission Guidelines

Articles submitted for consideration must be written in English.
Length of paper: 8,000-12,000 words, including footnotes.
Template and guidelines: http://www.jedem.org/about/submissions#authorGuidelines