About the Map
The Open Data Impact Map, a project of the Open Data for Development Network (OD4D), is a public database of organizations that use open government data from around the world. Open Data is publicly available data that can be accessed and reused by anyone free of charge.
The Map was developed to provide governments, international organizations, and researchers with a more comprehensive understanding of the demand for open data. By mapping these organizations using open data, we can better identify, get feedback on, and improve the most valuable government datasets.
The Map includes organizations (companies, nonprofits, academic institutions and developer groups) that use open government data for advocacy, to develop products and services, improve operations, inform strategy and conduct research.
The Map is made possible by the open data community. It is a collaborative effort that draws on previous studies, examples from an international network of Regional Supporters, an online survey, and research. We encourage other researchers to analyze and share data from the Map for further insights.
The Open Data Impact Map is supported by funding from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the World Bank. It is developed and managed by the Center for Open Data Enterprise.
Methodology
The Center for Open Data Enterprise manages data collection, curation, and publication for the Open Data Impact Map. Data is collected in three ways:
- ONLINE & MOBILE SURVEY: A web-based survey allows organizations using open data to submit information directly for the Map.
- REGIONAL SUPPORTERS: A global network of Regional Supporters in over 20 countries who contribute examples and provide ongoing insights based on their work and local expertise.
- RESEARCH: A research team identifies and curates examples from publicly available sources, interviews, and publications. The team also draws on a number of existing studies and aggregations of open data uses, including: The World Bank’s Pipeline research project ‘Open data driven companies in emerging markets’; The Sunlight Foundation’s ‘Social Impact of Open Data’ project; studies published as part of the Open Data Research Network; The GovLab at NYU’s Open Data 500 studies; and Open Data Institute's study, ‘Open data means business: UK innovation across sectors and regions.’
Limitations
The Open Data Impact Map is designed to be a resource for further analysis of the impact of open data globally. It is not in itself an attempt to rate, assess, or quantify the economic or social value of open data, nor does it provide a random or representative sample of use cases. While the Center for Open Data Enterprise reviews information submitted before publication, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of all entries.
Contribute Examples
Do you represent an organization that uses open data? Take the survey to add your organization to our database and have it displayed on the Open Data Impact Map.
Do you want to share examples of organizations using open data, or become a Regional Supporter? Send us an email for more information.
Regional Supporters
Regional Supporters are organizations from around the world that provide local insights and knowledge about open data use. They contribute regional open data examples and provide essential context about each use case to make the map a truly global view of the demand for open data. We thank the Map’s Regional Supporters for their ongoing contributions to the Open Data Impact Map.
Development Team
Technical Lead: Myeong Lee
Technical Fellows: Vinayak Pande, Pooja Singh, Hanlun Song
