Usability Considerations for Open Data Portals

Usability Considerations for Open Data Portals | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Usability Considerations for Open Data Portals Michael O'Grady, Eleni Mangina This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4055342/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 29 May, 2025 Read the published version in Universal Access in the Information Society → Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Open Data portals represent a singular service for public access to open data, including government data. Nominally, anyone can access and utilise such portals. However, portals tend to cater to professional classes of users with domain expertise. In contrast, the public may encounter obstacles and barriers when accessing such portals. There is an increasing need for data portals to cater to a diverse user base, including the public, NGOs, and citizen scientists. This paper investigates the public's understanding of open data and its capability to harness open data portals. Participants from several European countries were requested to complete a short survey and then tasked to use a portal to find information. Results indicate a broadly positive view of open data and open data portals. While the usability of open data portals is good, there is potential for improvement. It is recommended that further measures to increase usability be undertaken and efforts be made to raise public awareness of the existence and potential of open data portals. Open Data Open Data Portals Usability Open Science Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 29 May, 2025 Read the published version in Universal Access in the Information Society → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 15 Apr, 2025 Reviews received at journal 11 Apr, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 04 Apr, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 26 Apr, 2024 Submission checks completed at journal 20 Apr, 2024 First submitted to journal 19 Apr, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4055342","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":361580754,"identity":"5f9b48df-9d66-410a-92d1-e072dee5b67e","order_by":0,"name":"Michael O'Grady","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA/0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACZgY2IGnBwNgA5fIDSQkGA4JaJBBaJBsIaWGAaoGbYHAAiYsN6LYzP3vwo0KCgbmB+fDrihrrxM03kh/eYCiwwanF7DCbuWHPGZDD2NIszxxLT9x2I83YgsEgDY8WHjYJ3jaQFh4zwwa2w0AtOWxAvxzGq0Xy7z+Yln+HEzfPAGv5j1eLNG8DWIvxw8a2w4kbJMBaDuDzi5m0zDEJHsZmtjTGxr504xlnnhlbJBgk49Zy/vAzyTc1NnKG7c2HPzZ8s5btbweG2Ic/dji1wACPYTMDGyg6HBtA3ASCGoBAHhiNH4C0PTGKR8EoGAWjYGQBAMlqTN+fCAvkAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"University College Dublin","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Michael","middleName":"","lastName":"O'Grady","suffix":""},{"id":361580755,"identity":"3ccb02ac-3e3c-4c61-a453-669dacfb8580","order_by":1,"name":"Eleni Mangina","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University College Dublin","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Eleni","middleName":"","lastName":"Mangina","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-03-09 11:32:26","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4055342/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4055342/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-025-01227-1","type":"published","date":"2025-05-29T15:57:30+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":83782906,"identity":"7bc3afd2-f9e8-40c9-a0db-458ca9a43e57","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-02 16:08:24","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":382409,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscriptR1.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4055342/v1_covered_e7d92e7a-2963-448f-ae7b-6bc744acde41.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Usability Considerations for Open Data Portals","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"universal-access-in-the-information-society","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"uais","sideBox":"Learn more about [Universal Access in the Information Society](http://link.springer.com/journal/10209)","snPcode":"10209","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/10209/3","title":"Universal Access in the Information Society","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Open Data, Open Data Portals, Usability, Open Science","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4055342/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4055342/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eOpen Data portals represent a singular service for public access to open data, including government data. 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