On March 17, 2023 iSchool Doctoral students Lateef Ayinde, Hanim Astuti, Shezin Hussain, and Anisah Herdiyanti presented their paper at the 2023 iConference in Barcelona, Spain.

The iConference provides a platform for researchers from different iSchools to collaborate and exchange ideas. Through the conference, researchers have the opportunity to learn from one another and collaborate on projects, as well as build relationships with colleagues from other schools and countries.

The paper, Investigating Factors Influencing Open Government from a Country’s Perspective, investigated the five socio-technical aspects of open government (OG): e-government development, freedom of press, innovation capabilities, digital skills, and legal adaptability. Open government refers to strategies and initiatives that are based on the principles of transparency, integrity, accountability and stakeholder participation. The authors then examined how these aspects contribute and are crucial for successful implementation of OG initiative.

This study concluded that e-government development, freedom of press, and innovation capabilities are the most influential factors in OG initiatives, while digital skills are the least influential factor. The study highlighted the need for countries to invest in the development of e-government, freedom of press, and innovation capabilities in order to ensure effective and successful OG initiatives.

Governments should identify these factors (e-government development, freedom of press, innovation capabilities, digital skills, and legal adaptability) and use them to drive their openness to data, e-services, and citizen engagement.

“Overall, the conference was an eye-opening experience, and I came away with a renewed sense of confidence in my research and my ideas,” says Lateef Ayinde. “I also gained a greater appreciation for the importance of collaboration and open communication in research. I have a better understanding of how important it is to listen to different perspectives and to be open to learning from others.” 

Lateef Ayinde said, “It would not have been possible to achieve this without the invaluable guidance and mentorship of Dr. Chris Hinnant, our advisor.”