Unlocking the Potential of Open Government Data: Exploring the Strategic, Technical, and Application Perspectives of High-Value Datasets Opening in Taiwan

Abstract: Today, data has an unprecedented value as it forms the basis for data-driven decision-making, including serving as an input for AI models, where the latter is highly dependent on the availability of the data. However, availability of data in an open data format creates a little added value, where the value of these data, i.e., their relevance to the real needs of the end user, is key. This is where the concept of high-value dataset (HVD) comes into play, which has become popular in recent years. Defining and opening HVD is an ongoing process consisting of a set of interrelated steps, the implementation of which may vary from one country or region to another. Therefore, there has recently been a call to conduct research in a country or region setting considered to be of greatest national value. So far, only a few studies have been conducted at the regional or national level, most of which consider only one step of the process, such as identifying HVD or measuring their impact. With this study, we answer this call and examine the national case of Taiwan by exploring the entire lifecycle of HVD opening. The aim of the paper is to understand and evaluate the lifecycle of high-value dataset publishing in one of the world's leading producers of information and communication technology (ICT) products - Taiwan. To do this, we conduct a qualitative study with exploratory interviews with representatives from government agencies in Taiwan responsible for HVD opening, exploring HVD opening lifecycle. As such, we examine (1) strategic aspects related to the HVD determination process, (2) technical aspects, and (3) application aspects.