"Hurling Against a Haystack": The Incentives and Challenges of Open Data in the Republic of Ireland

Comparative research on data practices is hampered by the difficulty of studying across cases. The Republic of Ireland, with its small geographical size and population, an economy that is highly leveraged in information technology investment, and a centralized funding model provides a unique “laboratory” for examining data infrastructures in social and cultural contexts. This project reports on a preliminary study of the Open Data movement in the Irish public sector with an eye to surfacing themes for understanding data practices and challenges across different sectors. Using semi-structured interviews with individuals (n=11) involved in open data administration across the Republic, the researchers discuss current implementation and ongoing practices. Initial findings with respect to difficulties in measuring success, the sustainability of data, and valuating data are discussed. Future work on understanding how culture may play a role in open data infrastructures, stated and implicit values and biases, and creating and measuring need and impact are briefly discussed.ye