Starting from practices born during the pandemic, this project explores the sustainability of open data infrastructures, taking COVID-19 data as a case for analysis. It does this using a mixed-methods, ethnographically-oriented approach to examine open data infrastructures at sites within research, citizen science, and governments. Empirical work will consist of quantitative methods to trace data, in-depth semi-structured interviews and observation, and document analysis. While COVID-19 data provides an ideal case to study the dynamics of open data infrastructures, the problem of sustainability is much larger and extends to nearly all types of data and open infrastructures writ large.

The project is expected to lead to the following outcomes: 

• Empirical evidence and conceptual understanding of the tensions and factors at play in sustaining open infrastructures 

• Recommendations for sustaining open data infrastructures in research, government, and citizen science 

• Visualizations or infrastructural maps designed to make visible the often hidden practices and relationships at work in sustaining data/infrastructures to general audiences

This work will be embedded within the Evaluation & Culture and Information & Openness focal areas at CWTS. Empirical work will be conducted at CWTS,  and will be guided by an international advisory board of open data/infrastructure experts. 

This project is financed by a Veni grant from the the Dutch Research Council (NWO) under the grant number VI.Veni.231S.006.

• open data
• open science
• sustainability

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