A Case Study of New England Open Data Portals

Abstract

Open government data has proliferated across every level of government in the 2010s, but research has focused primarily on national or municipal portals, which may obscure the challenges faced in providing open government data in less densely populated areas. This research focuses on the cases of three US states- Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. We examine the stated goals of each portal and any policies related to their establishment or upkeep. We then examine the portals with regard to updating, reuse, organization and other factors. Of the three cases, Vermont’s portal is moderately successful and continues to be used. New Hampshire’s strategy of linking to data on agency websites is inconsistent, but the state law requiring data published to be in open formats does mean data is more open when it is provided. Maine’s portal went dormant soon after its initial creation, and was fully taken down in the timeframe of this research. These cases illustrate that the establishment of a state portal alone does not guarantee that the portal will support the desired outcomes.