Take a deep dive into the second phase of research on Open Data in Developing Countries (ODDC2), completed in 2015. These projects show the social, political and legal sides of open data that are too often overshadowed by the technical aspects in the debate.

At the Web Foundation, the goal of our open data research programme is clear. We want to equip policymakers and shapers with actionable insights to ensure that open data becomes a powerful tool for development, particularly in the Global South.

In the second phase of this research, we deliberately chose not to focus on the technical aspects of open data, but rather on the social, political and legal aspects required to build a thriving open data community – one which is capable of using open data as a tool to improve the day to day lives of citizens.

Read the results of four key areas:

• the role of subnational governments – such as cities or provinces – in open data provision
• the role of intermediaries in linking open data supply and demand
• the need for Freedom of Information (FOI) and Open Government Data (OGD) communities to work together, to open access to knowledge
• and finally, understanding government inertia in adopting open data and ways to overcome it

We hope that by sharing the insights from these four projects, we can build on the body of knowledge on how open data impacts developing countries and how we can make sure we see the biggest impact from it.

The third phase of the research has now been launched, with 11 projects running across 21 countries. This builds on our academic research to carry out testing and innovation.

You can stay up to date with the project by following us on Twitter @webfoundation or subscribing to our newsletter. Our Jakarta Lab will also regularly post updates on projects in Asia @ODLabJkt.

This project is supported by the Open Data for Development (OD4D) program, a partnership funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the World Bank, United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), and Global Affairs Canada (GAC).