Online Government Information Research Articles

Genres of online COVID-19 information and government information culture: A comparative case study

Information culture is a cultural phenomenon manifested in the organization's values, norms and practices that influence information management and use in the organization. Few studies have explored the relationship between information culture and the application of genres of online government information. This study offers a comparative case study of two provincial governments in China. The findings showed that the genres of the online COVID-19 information disclosed by the two local governments reflect different types of information cultures. In governance-oriented culture, information is regarded as an important tool to actualize good governance and the genres most appropriate for online information dissemination would be adopted to meet citizens' information needs. This kind of information culture is likely to enhance citizens' trust in government and be beneficial for government crisis management and good governance. While, in government-oriented culture, information is regarded as a tool to actualize governmental interest. This kind of information culture poses a risk for government in achieving the goal of building trust between the public and government. The value of this study lies in filling the research gap in the relationship between genre and information culture and providing pragmatic insights for local governments to enhance information disclosure by adopting appropriate genres and cultivating governance-oriented culture.

Designing A User-Centred Model to Amplify Satisfaction in Utilizing Online Government Information

With the increasing reliance on digital platforms for accessing government services and information, user satisfaction becomes a crucial factor in ensuring effective service delivery and citizen engagement. Thus, this study explores into the development of a user-centred model aimed at enhancing user satisfaction in the utilization of online government information. The proposed model integrates Privacy; Safety; Service quality; Time; and Awareness with Satisfaction to create a model that aligns with citizens' needs and preferences. The data collection process targeted respondents among citizens of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the questionnaire survey. The respondents were selected using a convenience sampling technique, allowing for the collection of samples conveniently located around a specific area or accessible through internet services. A total of 396 participants took part in the survey and the collected data was used to develop the model using SmartPLS software. The developed model was analysed and the results reveal that the path from Privacy to Satisfaction holds significant influence, as indicated by a T statistic of 3.755 and a p-value of 0.000. Similarly, the paths from Safety and Service Quality to Satisfaction are also significant, with T statistics of 2.363 and 4.580, respectively, and corresponding p-values of 0.009 and 0.000. However, the paths from Awareness and Time to Satisfaction are found to be not significant, with T statistics of 1.162 and 0.935, and p-values of 0.123 and 0.175, respectively. By prioritizing user satisfaction, this research contributes to the advancement of digital government initiatives and citizen-centric service delivery paradigms.

Online government information in academic libraries: Accessibility and trust issues

The use of government information in an online environment is vital to citizens and researchers. Trust in the validity of digital government information is a key issue. As agencies make digital government publications available online, preservation of those documents for future generations is an important access component. Online government information does not always guarantee equal access for all. The following articles examine these issues and more concerning government information.

When Government Transparency Risks Reinforcing Racist Stereotypes and Residential Segregation

Transparency requires that online government information be both numerically accurate and ‘cognitively accessible’ to members of the public. This paper provides a normative critique of various crime-data presentation formats informed by the literature on cognitive biases with regard to quantitative information. The analysis finds that interactive crime maps often apply (1) relative scaling, (2) arbitrary rate-magnification, (3) context-free absolute numbers, (4) ratios of small proportions, and (5) wrong baselines of comparison. These formats risk portraying non-White and/or Hispanic urban areas as ‘high crime’ in absolute rather than relative terms. This may discourage cautious (White) individuals from visiting, doing business in, or relocating to such neighborhoods, thus reinforcing residential segregation. Proportional scaling may provide an easy solution: In 2017, New York City emerges as a safe zone with regard to violent crime. Proportional scaling is easy to implement and it may help prevent inadvertent reinforcement of racist stereotypes and residential segregation.

Visualizing changes to US federal environmental agency websites, 2016-2020.

Websites have become the primary means by which the US federal government communicates about its operations and presents information for public consumption. However, the alteration or removal of critical information from these sites is often entirely legal and done without the public's awareness. Relative to paper records, websites enable governments to shape public understanding in quick, scalable, and permissible ways. During the Trump administration, website changes indicative of climate denial prompted civil society organizations to develop tools for tracking online government information sources. We in the Environmental Data & Governance Initiative (EDGI) illustrate how five data visualization techniques can be used to document and analyze changes to government websites. We examine a large sample of websites of US federal environmental agencies and show that between 2016 and 2020: 1) the use of the term "climate change" decreased by an estimated 38%; 2) access to as much as 20% of the Environmental Protection Agency's website was removed; 3) changes were made more to Cabinet agencies' websites and to highly visible pages. In formulating ways to visualize and assess the alteration of websites, our study lays important groundwork for both systematically tracking changes and holding officials more accountable for their web practices. Our techniques enable researchers and watchdog groups alike to operate at the scale necessary to understand the breadth of impact an administration can have on the online face of government.

Globalization and Worldwide Best Practices in E-Government

ABSTRACT As the rate of global technological change becomes ever more visible, the development of e-governance is sometimes taken for granted as a path-dependent process. E-governance evolution models assume that the quality of online government information, services, and transactions, will trend ever upward. This article tests this claim through a global analysis of different patterns of growth and maturation. The article delves into six best practice cases for e-governance and analyzes world-wide growth trends. Best practices for city governments are described in five categories: privacy and security, usability, content, services, and citizen and social engagement. Three groups of e-governance developers are identified, and cities with the fastest growth rates are found to be among those in the middle of the development curve. The findings suggest a ‘climber’ phenomenon in global e-governance diffusion trends.

A turbulent time: government sources post-2016 presidential election

PurposeSince the 2016 presidential election, hyper-partisanship has become a regular facet of the political landscape with Democrats and Republicans in increasing conflict. The purpose of this paper is to determine if perception of government sources related to trust and credibility has changed since the 2016 election and if the experiences and strategies of librarians who teach or consult about government information has changed in response to this environment.Design/methodology/approachA 24-question survey was distributed to garner qualitative and quantitative responses from librarians who teach or consult about government information in an academic environment. A total of 122 responses were used for analysis.FindingsAcademic librarians are seeing more concern from patrons about disappearing online government information and wider distrust of government information. Librarians also noticed that the political leanings of students color their perspective around government sources and that librarians also need to keep their political beliefs in check. Respondents emphasized a need for more government literacy and information literacy topics when discussing evaluation of government sources.Research limitations/implicationsThe data collection only included responses from academic librarians. Further research could include in-depth interviews and look at experiences in various library types.Originality/valueWith the timeliness of this topic, there has not been an in-depth investigation into how the Trump administration has changed user trust and perception of government sources from the librarian’s point of view. This paper continues the conversation about how librarians can address the growing distrust of government information and give us insight into the effects of a turbulent political climate on government sources.

User Based Design Model to Enhance Satisfaction by using Government Online Information

Government information online is a transformation of relations between the internal and external public sector, through ICT, to enhance government service delivery and participation in the citizenry. By using government information online, a lot of advantages can be obtained, and it is important for users from different generations to obtain positive benefits from them. As the world is quickly growing without boundaries, the Internet and the worldwide web have become a common means of providing government information and services to the public, the companies and other governmental organizations. This paper reports a review on the analysis of the usage patterns of government online information for different generation cohort and existing work related to satisfaction of online information. The analysis were based on two questions that address the usage patterns of government online information and existing works related to satisfaction. Based on seventy selected articles reviewed, it was found that we found that ‘education purpose’ is the most commonly investigated usage pattern and most of related works of satisfaction focusing in developing model and framework.

Scottish citizens’ perceptions of the credibility of online political “facts” in the “fake news” era

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the results of a study that explored public perceptions of the credibility of “facts and figures” contained within five social media posts produced by political parties in Scotland.Design/methodology/approachThe study consisted of an online survey conducted in Spring 2017 (n=538). Respondents were asked to gauge the reliability of “facts” contained within the posts, to provide reasons for their answers, and to indicate how they might go about confirming or debunking the figures.FindingsLess than half the sample believed the posts’ content would be reliable. Credibility perceptions were influenced by various factors, including: a lack of cited sources; concerns about bias or spin; a lack of detail, definitions or contextual information; personal political allegiance and trust; negative campaign techniques; personal experience of policy issues; and more intuitive judgements. Only small numbers admitted that they would not know how to find out more about the issues or would be disinclined to look further. The majority appeared confident in their own abilities to find further information, yet were vague in describing their search strategies.Originality/valueRelatively little empirical research has been conducted exploring the perceived credibility of political or government information online. It is believed that this is the first such study to have specifically investigated the Scottish political arena.

User engagement with political “facts” in the context of the fake news phenomenon

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the results of a study that explored human behaviour in response to political “facts” presented online by political parties in Scotland.Design/methodology/approachThe study consisted of interactive online interviews with 23 citizens in North-East Scotland, in the run-up to the 2017 UK General Election.FindingsParticipants demonstrated cognitive and critical responses to facts but little affective reaction. They judged facts swiftly and largely intuitively, providing evidence that facts are frequently consumed, accepted or rejected without further verification processes. Users demonstrated varying levels of engagement with the information they consume, and subject knowledge may influence the extent to which respondents trust facts, in previously unanticipated ways. Users tended to notice facts with which they disagreed and, in terms of prominence, particularly noted and responded to facts which painted extremely negative or positive pictures. Most acknowledged limitations in capacity to interrogate facts, but some were delusionally confident.Originality/valueRelatively little empirical research has been conducted exploring the perceived credibility of political or government information online. It is believed that this and a companion study are the first to have specifically investigated the Scottish political arena. This paper presents a new, exploratory fact interrogation model, alongside an expanded information quality awareness model.

Do multilingual androids dream of a better life in Australia? Effectiveness of information technology for government translation to support refugees and migrants in Australia

AbstractWithout high‐quality translation of online information about government support and services, refugees and migrants from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Australia experience a major barrier to improved health, employment, education and social outcomes. Recent advances in the ability of Google Translate, Skype Translator and other forms of machine translation that use artificial intelligence can help translate government information to better support refugees and migrants but they bring the risk of ineffective communication, and exclusion from services that could positively impact on settlement experiences and daily life. Evidence suggests that government agencies are likely to be using human translators for most translation work, but the degree to which any form of information technology is used, how it may be best applied and the associated effects are not known. This study systematically reviewed the peer‐reviewed and grey literature to determine effective ways of using information technology for translating government information to refugees and migrants from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Australia. Included studies were analysed to identify techniques and other characteristics of translation, information technology and language support more broadly, and outcomes on education, health, social and other refugee and migrant experiences relating to translated information. Our review found a small evidence base featuring studies with strong evaluation demonstrating effective forms of ‘language support’ for refugees and migrants from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Australia in a broad sense. However, there is a major gap in knowledge that is contributing to barriers in the use of online government information in Australia. In particular, there is an absence of evidence demonstrating what is effective in the use of machine translation with artificial intelligence, websites and other kinds of information technology for translating government information with refugees and migrants from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The oversight risks further excluding already marginalised groups from services and support. This paper makes a number of suggestions practitioners can take to address the issue and guidelines for future research.

Youth information-seeking behavior and online government information

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on middle-school-aged young people’s information-seeking behavior and the knowledge and perceptions they have of and about federal government websites.Design/methodology/approachThe case study included 37 youth across four middle schools in the mid-Atlantic USA who all participated in a research-focused after-school program. During these sessions, they participated in several data collection activities, including an interview, a survey, a word association activity, an evaluation of the homepage of a government website, and card-sorting. Using conventional, directed, and summative content analysis techniques, the narratives from each data collection activity were coded using in vivo and theory-based terms.FindingsThe study finds that the majority of participants viewed government websites favorably, but were frequently unsure of what government websites are or who is responsible for their creation. Perhaps more significantly, participants’ views of information-related policies frequently were raised during discussions about government websites. The perceptions reflected the youth information-seeking behaviors and information literacy gaps.Originality/valueOverall, these findings shed light on the opinions of an understudied population in e-government research and inform both policy makers and educators on how to best disseminate government information to youth.

Government information: Literacies, behaviours and practices

The current trend in the delivery of government information online is predicated on the belief that it will enable improvements in the provision of government services and citizens' participation in democratic processes. Government policy in this matter is wrapped in the rhetoric of public accessibility, that is, it must be easy to find, to access and to use. This paper draws upon a case study to explore the validity of this rhetoric; it uses Pierre Bourdieu's concept of society as a metaphorical game in which different players, government and citizens, play with different rules, a situation that can result in mismatches and conflicts in expectations and beliefs. Societal understanding of accessibility to government information is more nuanced and multidimensional than accessibility as an institutional practice within government departments, and requires high levels of digital and civic literacies. The case study findings demonstrate that accessibility did not meet the expectations of a group of university students who were both digitally and civically literate but were not able to find documents mandated to be published. The research concludes that there is a gap between the assumptions of the providers of government information and the expectations of their users; this disparity raises issues of social justice that will need to be bridged if government policies for online information delivery are to fulfil their objectives and rhetoric.

Assessing a Genre-Based Approach to Online Government Information

In this work we take some first steps to explore the potential value of a genre based approach to improving access to online government information. We report on an analysis of the GOC Type metadata element and controlled taxonomy of genre types in use in the Canadian e-government domain.Dans cette recherche, nous effectuons les premières étapes de l’exploration de la valeur potentielle d’une approche basée sur le genre et conçue pour améliorer l’accès à l’information gouvernementale en ligne. Nous présentons une analyse des éléments de métadonnées et des genres d’une taxinomie contrôlée utilisés dans le domaine du gouvernement en ligne du Canada.

Walking to School in Japan and Childhood Obesity Prevention: New Lessons From an Old Policy

We analyzed the Japan's walking-to-school practice implemented in 1953 for lessons useful to other cities and countries. We reviewed background documents (gray literature, online government information, local policy documents, and regulations) for existing regulations in several urban settings. We also contacted boards of education. Each municipality has a board of education in charge of public schools, which considers the geography, climate, and the transport situation to determine the method of commuting. Because there is high availability of schools in urban areas and most are located within walking range of the children's homes, walking is the most common method. There are different safety initiatives depending on the district's characteristics. Parents, school staff, and local volunteers are involved in supervision. The walk-to-school practice has helped combat childhood obesity by providing regular physical activity. Recommendations to cities promoting walking to school are (1) base interventions on the existing network of schools and adapt the provision to other local organizations, (2) establish safety measures, and (3) respond specifically to local characteristics. Besides the well-established safety interventions, the policy's success may also be associated with Japan's low crime rate.

From potential users to actual users: Use of e-government service by Chinese migrant farmer workers

Abstract The number of migrant farmer workers in China has increased so rapidly that they can't be ignored anymore as a vulnerable group in the coming information society. This study formulates a theoretical framework on the process of seeking for government information online and employs a method of questionnaire survey to investigate the information needs of migrant farmer workers and their behavior of using e-government service. The findings drawn include inconsistency of information seeking behaviors with information needs, and conditions of transfer from potential users of e-government services to actual users, such as information literacy, IT environment, the influence of social networks, the operations of government websites, and targeted services. Several policy recommendations are presented based on these findings, including improvements in the workers' information capacity, construction of special e-government programs aimed at such workers, and enhancement of public library systems and government service offerings to this target group.

Responsibility Rolls Down: Public Libraries and the Social and Policy Obligations of Ensuring Access to E-government and Government Information

Access to government information has been considered an essential element of democracy since the foundation of the American republic. Over time, the amount of government information produced has increased significantly, and the rise of e-government has made access to online government information, communication, and services equally vital to participation in society and interaction with governments. However, the outlets of free public access to government information and e-government have constricted over time, leaving public libraries as one of the only free public Internet access points in most communities. As a result, public libraries serve as a social guarantor of access to and assistance with government information and e-government services. This article first discusses the historical evolution of the means of access to government information and changes over time in responsibilities in providing such access. After exploring the interrelationships between government information and e-government, the article then details the development of the role of public libraries as guarantors of e-government access. Finally, the article examines the impacts of policy on e-government access in libraries, leading to a set of recommendations and conclusions to support the vital library roles related to e-government.

Government of India Websites: A Study

Ministries of Government of India have hosted their own websites across the World Wide Web so as to provide the world a view of the functioning of the Indian Government. It is essential these have to be up to the mark to represent the nation in an appropriate manner. But, despite this scale of involvement, there has been relatively little analysis of contents and visibility of these websites. This study highlights the importance of online government information in India and shows how far these websites have been able to make an impact on the society. The paper aims to examine the websites for their linking and content presence, and also to find out their web impact factor. The research methodology adopted for the study is investigative in nature. It includes observation of the selected websites from different points of view like number of webpages, web impact factor, and number of rich files. Data analyses and interpretation show that for each of the indicator used in this study, there were a different set of websites which achieved the topmost ranks. The findings of this study highlights the standing of these websites against the average values and show that different ministries excelled from different points of view. DOI: 10.14429/djlit.30.454

What users want: Assessing government information preferences to drive information services

Abstract Access to government information has changed dramatically in the past 20 years. There are many indicators of information use, but it is challenging for service institutions to gain a current and comprehensive view of the research practices and preferences of their users. Information stakeholders must seek out current data to gauge the potential success of new initiatives and policies in order to meet user needs. To that end, a user study was conducted on the University of Montana campus in spring of 2006. The survey was sent to a random, stratified sample of the campus population. The instrument included questions on frequency of government information use, methods of locating and learning about government documents, awareness of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), and service and format preferences. The results show that the majority of researchers are using government information at least quarterly and that they most often use general search engines to find it. Respondents indicate a strong interest in alerting services, tutorials, virtual reference, and topic-oriented assistance. Although some respondents prefer printed materials for specific types of information, users generally want to find and access government information online. The results offer current data for program planning, collection development, and information policy creation.

Undergraduate Use of Government Information: What Citation Studies Tell us About Instruction Strategies

Among librarians, government information has a reputation for being a valuable but underused resource. A literature review of undergraduate citation studies, however, reveals that the use of government information has apparently increased so much for some subject areas that, after books and journals, it has become one of the most frequently used sources for primary and scholarly works. Nonetheless, librarians still tend to consider documents as an "other" category that is specialized and hard to use. Typical library instruction sessions that focus heavily on books and journals can have the unfortunate side effect of discouraging students from using online government information, as do classroom policies that discourage Web research in general. A citation analysis of government information in 194 bibliographies from an undergraduate information literacy course provides insights about how students find and use government information and suggests strategies for integrating government information into standard library instruction.