Research of open government data in China: A systematic literature study in public administration (2013–2023)

Abstract

By building structures on open government data and illuminating the area of China with a systematic assessment of 220 papers published in major journals of public administration from 2013 to 2023, this article aims to bridge the research gap of open government data. It presents an overview of the landscape of Chinese OGD research and exposes the current gaps with the paths of unresolved research in the future by thoroughly examining the overall progress, theoretical topics, theoretical underpinnings, and methodologies of these studies. Combining the findings of this analysis with the overall trends in Chinese OGD development and the current international research frontiers on OGD, the article suggests that Chinese scholars should critically examine international theories and construct a development framework tailored to the specific needs of Chinese OGD. It also proposes the coordinate mechanism and the synergistic effect at the micro-level need to be further explored and use more advanced quantitative research methodologies to confirm theoretical and qualitative empirical findings.