Analysis of UAE Open Government Data Usability within Mobile Application Development

Table of Contents

1 Introduction

1.1 Background

1.2 Research Problem

1.3 Research Questions and Objectives

1.4 Motivation and Importance of the Research

1.5 Organization of the Dissertation

2 Literature Review

2.1 Open Government Data

2.2 Open Government Data Internationally and in the UAE

2.2.1 The US OGD Portal

2.2.2 The UK OGD Portal

2.2.3 The UAE OGD Portal

2.3 Smartphones and Mobile Applications

2.4 Benefits of Mobile Applications for Open Government Data

2.5 The Status of Mobile Applications in the Context of Open Government Data

2.6 Factors that Support the Usability of Open Government Data within Mobile Application Development

2.6.1 Data Completeness

2.6.2 Data Accessibility

2.6.3 Data Utility

2.6.4 Data Format

2.6.5 Conclusions on Factors Supporting Usability

3 Research Methodology

3.1 Overview of the Assessment

3.2 Assessment Instrument

3.2.1 Section 1: Data Completeness

3.2.2 Section 2: Data Accessibility

3.2.3 Section 3: Data Utility

3.2.4 Section 4: Data Format

3.3 Dataset Sample and Selection

3.4 Pilot Study and Timeframe

3.5 Data Collection Method

4 Results

4.1 Data Completeness

4.2 Data Accessibility

4.2.1 Registration Required to Access the OGD Datasets

4.2.2 Terms and Conditions for Accessing and Reusing the OGD Datasets

4.2.3 The Application Programming Interface (API)

4.3 Data Utility

4.3.1 Location-Based Information

4.3.2 Consistency of Data Identifiers

4.3.3 Availability of Metadata

4.4 Data Format

5 Discussion

5.1 Major Findings

5.2 Recommendations and Guidelines to Improve UAE Open Government Data

6 Conclusions

6.1 Research Problem and Objectives

6.2 Limitations of the Research

6.3 Directions for Future Research

Research Goals and Objectives

The primary goal of this research is to analyze and evaluate the current usability of UAE Open Government Data (OGD) specifically in the context of mobile application development. The research investigates whether existing datasets meet the technical and accessibility requirements needed by developers to build mobile applications that can improve citizens' lives and contribute to the country's economic growth.

• Assessing the current status of UAE OGD usability.
• Identifying technical and procedural barriers for mobile app developers.
• Comparing UAE OGD practices with international benchmarks.
• Defining key usability factors (data completeness, format, API availability, etc.).
• Developing evidence-based recommendations for policy improvements.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the global trend of OGD, the research problem concerning the UAE’s low portal usability, and the study's objective to support mobile application development.

2 Literature Review: This chapter explores international OGD initiatives, the importance of mobile applications, and identifies key usability factors such as data completeness, accessibility, utility, and format.

3 Research Methodology: This chapter details the assessment process, including the development of an assessment instrument and the selection process for the 144 assessed datasets.

4 Results: This chapter presents the data findings, showing that while completeness is adequate, the UAE lacks APIs, sufficient metadata, and structured data formats like JSON or clean XML.

5 Discussion: This chapter analyzes the findings, identifying critical barriers for developers and proposing specific guidelines for UAE government entities to improve data usability.

6 Conclusions: This chapter summarizes the research objectives, notes the limitations of the study, and suggests directions for future research in the field of OGD and mobile integration.

Keywords

Open Government Data, OGD, Open Data, OD, Mobile Application Development, Smartphone Mobile Applications, Usability Factors, Data Completeness, Data Accessibility, Data Utility, Data Format, API, JSON, XML, UAE.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core focus of this research?

The research focuses on evaluating the usability of Open Government Data in the UAE specifically regarding its potential to be utilized in the development of mobile applications.

What are the primary themes discussed in the work?

Central themes include data completeness, accessibility, API availability, metadata standards, and the adoption of open, machine-readable data formats for mobile platforms.

What is the main objective of the thesis?

The objective is to identify weaknesses in the current UAE OGD implementation that hinder mobile application development and to provide actionable recommendations to improve this support.

Which methodology was employed for this study?

The researcher developed a custom assessment instrument based on literature-reviewed usability factors and applied it to a sample of 144 datasets across 19 UAE federal entities.

What does the main body of the work cover?

The main body covers a comprehensive literature review of OGD best practices, the description of the assessment instrument, the empirical results of the data analysis, and a discussion of proposed improvements.

Which keywords best characterize this research?

Keywords include Open Government Data, Mobile Application Development, Usability Factors, Data Format, API, and UAE governmental digital strategy.

How does the lack of APIs affect UAE developers?

The absence of APIs forces developers to manually download, clean, and convert datasets, creating significant barriers that hinder the creation of automated and up-to-date mobile applications.

Why is the JSON format emphasized over other formats like PDF or Word?

JSON is emphasized because it is a lightweight, machine-readable, and structured format that is easily processed by mobile applications without the manual conversion efforts required for unstructured formats like PDF.