Quality and use of open government data: an exploratory analysis of the Italian context

ABSTRACT. This study examines the quality and utilization of open government data (OGD) in Italy, focusing on regional and municipal portals. OGDs represent a crucial resource for promoting transparency, innovation and civic engagement, but their effectiveness depends also on metadata quality and effective user adoption. The objective of the research is threefold: identifying trends in dataset usage, assessing metadata quality, and exploring a potential relationship between these aspects. The methodology builds on established theoretical frameworks by Neumaier et al. (2016) and Quarati (2023), adapted to the Italian context. Data were collected programmatically through APIs on CKAN and Socrata portals, selected for their regional and city-wide coverage. Usage metrics were primarily focused on the number of views due to the limited availability of data on downloads. Metadata quality was measured through three main dimensions - existence, conformance and openness - using the DCAT standard to ensure interoperability. The results reveal widespread underutilization of datasets, with significant regional and city disparities between northern, central and southern Italy. Metadata quality varies widely: while existence is often satisfactory, conformance and openness are often lacking, compromising the reusability of the data. Moreover, no clear correlation emerges between metadata quality and usage trends, suggesting that social, economic or technological factors may influence engagement beyond technical aspects. This study highlights the need for targeted interventions to improve metadata management and dataset relevance. In conclusion, it calls for further qualitative research to identify barriers to OGD adoption and inform strategies to maximize their potential in Italy.