Open Policy Research Articles

Strong or thin digital democracy? The democratic implications of Taiwan's open government data policy in the 2010s

What kind of “democracy” do new government-led digital initiatives facilitate? This paper discusses the issue by investigating the open government data policy in Taiwan in the 2010s, asking whether the policy encouraged “strong democracy.” Using interviews, written records, and an analysis of platform design, I argue that the implementation of Taiwan's open data policy has not institutionalized the engagement of civil society groups or ordinary citizens in government decision-making processes, which is at odds with the claims that open government data encourages “strong democracy.” Instead, open government data in Taiwan has facilitated monitorial democracy, which presupposes watchful but not active citizens, and neoliberal democracy, which presupposes profit-pursuing citizens. Both are more in line with “thin democracy,” which focuses more on individual rights and private interests than on participation and political community. The finding sheds light on why conservative governments around the world often embrace open government initiatives.

From Policy to Practice: Data Sharing Challenges and Opportunities for Mixed Methods Research in the Era of U.S. Open Science Initiatives

The “Year of Open Science” initiative, spearheaded by the White House in 2023, catalyzed the adoption of national open science policies across U.S. Federal Government agencies, but open science is an international movement. This paper elucidates the evolving landscape of open science policies, particularly focusing on the Data Management and Sharing Plans by agencies like NIH, NSF, and CDC. While quantitative research (and qualitative research to some degree) has received considerable attention in data sharing, this paper highlights the underexplored terrain of mixed methods research. Through detailed analysis and examples, it advocates for tailored guidelines and collaborative efforts to bridge the gap in data sharing practices, emphasizing the unique challenges and opportunities inherent in mixed methods research.

Evaluation of the Development Effectiveness of Intellectual Property Operation for Science and Technology-based Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: Based on the Research Data of Qinchuangyuan Innovation Driving Platform

Science and technology-based enterprises promote national economic growth and facilitate scientific and technological innovation. This study takes the development of Intellectual Property (IP) operation of science and technology-based enterprises as the research object and constructs a relevant evaluation index system. It also takes the data of 112 small and medium-sized science and technology-based enterprises within the Qinchuangyuan Innovation Driving Platform as an example, conducts statistical analysis and case analysis, and concludes development strategies. The results of the study provide policy suggestions for further strengthening and promoting the development of intellectual property operation by enhancing the efficiency of the IP operation system and policy services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in science and technology, promoting the construction of supporting facilities and improving employee satisfaction; as well as simplifying the IP filing procedures, optimizing the financing environment, and establishing a platform for regular evaluation and information sharing to accelerate the transformation of IP; and at the same time, implementing a mechanism for efficient policy fulfillment and departmental linkages to enhance the implementation of the policies and form a high-quality business environment that will help SMEs in their development and technological innovation of SMEs.

Application of Big Data in Digital Currency and Blockchain Finance

With the rise of emerging economic models, the cryptocurrency system, centered on the internet and electronization, is gradually returning to its core functions — storage, data processing, and related services. The deep value of massive data lies in rapid mining to uncover its inherent patterns, which is not only crucial for the operation, regulation, and monetary policy implementation of cryptocurrencies but also serves as an essential support for the transition from paper money to digital currencies. Given this, this research plans to conduct a detailed exploration of the application of big data in the field of cryptocurrency and blockchain finance, aiming to contribute to the continuous progress of China’s financial industry.

Improving Snowplowing Operations in Utah Through Optimization and Visualization

This paper optimizes snowplowing routes across 12 regions in northern Utah, achieving reductions in total travel time, turnaround time, and deadhead miles by averages of 5.04%, 15.01%, and 14.84% respectively. It assesses tradeoffs between operational policies such as echelon vs. non-echelon routing and centralized vs. decentralized optimization, aiding local management decisions. Furthermore, the paper utilizes data visualization to showcase the effectiveness of new routes compared with current practice, providing valuable insights to the Utah Department of Transportation.

Beliefs and attitudes of PICU doctors and nurses on parental presence and open visiting policies: an Italian nationwide survey.

The aim of the study is to investigate doctors' and nurses' beliefs and attitudes towards family presence and open visiting policies in Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) in Italy. A multicentric nationwide study was carried out in all 30 Italian PICUs. All doctors and nurses were asked to complete the Italian version of the Beliefs and Attitudes toward Visitation in ICU Questionnaire (BAVIQ). The questionnaire consists of 20 questions on beliefs and 14 on attitudes towards visiting. The response rate was 89% (925 questionnaires), with 87% of nurses and 94% of doctors responding. Most respondents (85%) believed that visiting has a beneficial effect on the patient and that an open visiting policy can reduce parental anxiety (68%). However, nearly half the respondents believed that an open policy interferes with direct nursing care (45%) and makes them feel checked up on (49%). Multiple logistic regression conducted on the eight most representative items showed that factors associated with beliefs and attitudes opposing open visiting policies were: being a nurse, geographic area (working in PICUs in Central Italy or the South and Islands) and working in a cardiac surgery unit. Age showed a trend of younger professionals being more convinced that an open visiting policy can be beneficial for patients. Most healthcare professionals in Italian PICUs believe that an open visiting policy for families is beneficial for both the patient and his/her family. However, despite an overall positive attitude among PICU staff members, there is still some resistance in Italy, particularly among nurses and in cardiac surgery units.

Politik Hukum Sistem Pemilihan Umum Presiden dan Wakil Presiden dalam Perspektif Pancasila

The research objectives in this thesis are based on the two problem formulations raised, namely as follows: To find out and study the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election system based on Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections. To find out and study the Legal Politics of the President and Vice President in Indonesia based on Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections, viewed from the Pancasila Perspective. The research method used is normative juridical legal research. The results of the research and discussion are as follows: First, the direct and indirect Presidential election system emerged due to a misinterpretation of the 4th principle of Pancasila which reads "the people are led by wisdom in deliberation/representation". Second, the legal politics of a statutory norm fall into the category of open legal policy, so according to the Constitutional Court this norm is in an area of constitutional value with the 1945 Constitution. The concept of open legal policy itself was first used by the Constitutional Court. In its considerations, the Constitutional Court was of the opinion that such a policy choice is the right of the legislator and is protected by the constitution.

A leadership and policy development model for driving operational success in tech companies

In the fast-evolving landscape of technology companies, leadership plays a critical role in shaping operational policies that align with long-term business goals. This review introduces a leadership and policy development model designed to drive operational success in technology-driven organizations. The model emphasizes the importance of visionary, collaborative, and data-driven leadership in developing and implementing operational policies that not only enhance day-to-day efficiency but also support sustainable growth and innovation. The framework is built around key leadership pillars, including visionary leadership that sets a clear operational direction, collaborative leadership that fosters cross-functional engagement, and data-driven leadership that leverages analytics to inform policy decisions. It highlights the process of policy creation and implementation, beginning with an assessment of existing operational challenges, followed by the development of scalable policies that align with business strategies. The model also incorporates agile leadership, which promotes adaptability in response to rapid technological advancements and market shifts, ensuring that policies remain relevant and effective. Moreover, the model focuses on promoting operational innovation by embedding policies that encourage research and development, cross-department collaboration, and continuous improvement. Leaders are encouraged to integrate Lean and Agile methodologies within policies to streamline processes, reduce inefficiencies, and improve overall operational performance. Through real-world case studies and applications, this review demonstrates how technology companies can benefit from leadership that actively shapes policies to foster operational excellence. The proposed model serves as a strategic tool for tech leaders, helping them align operational policies with long-term objectives, drive innovation, and maintain competitive advantage in the global market. By adopting this leadership-driven policy approach, tech companies can enhance their ability to scale effectively and sustain operational success in an ever-changing environment.

EHT and environmental justice at EPA Victoria: Aspirations and regulatory realities

Abstract EPA Victoria (Australia) is a statutory authority that regulates polluting activities and advises other Victorian government departments on relevant policy settings. In 2016, a public health function was installed at EPA Vic to provide emergency health messaging during pollution events, review research evidence of environmental-health relationships and assess industry-contracted health risk assessments of polluting entities. An Environmental Health Tracking Network (EHTN) is under development to support these activities. The EHTN is an agile data and analytical infrastructure for translating expertise across an expanding multidisciplinary network of public health researchers, EPA operational staff and public sector policy makers. Its current interactive dashboards calculate health impacts and associated costs of air pollution scenarios, model land-use influences on land and water contamination and identify coincidences of sociodemographic-, urban environment- and pollution exposure-disadvantage in a high spatial resolution environmental justice (EJ) framework. Regulatory leverage of EHTN intelligence, however, requires legislated EJ thresholds and/or legally tractable costing of industry-externalised human health impacts. Thus, to establish triggers for more stringent conditions on polluting activities and promote equity of interventions and regulations, novel regionally and EJ specific health risk functions are required. Considering these ambitions and challenges, the EHTN at EPA Vic is focussed on 1) identifying and characterising vulnerable populations at high spatial resolution, 2) estimating associated exposure-health effect size modifications using primary epidemiological methods and 3) applying these to health impact and cost assessments of pollution and waste. We seek defensible grounds on which to impose more stringent standards for polluters and redress entrenched social, health and economic disadvantage. Speakers/Panelists Hanna Tolonen THL, Helsinki, Finland

Towards defining the public interest in technology: lessons from history

Abstract The public interest suggests a singular approach to a social good, but lessons from history illustrate the nuances of sharing open space, transportation networks, and policy mandates. Serving the public exists across a spectrum of possibilities. In this essay, we consider how the emerging field of public interest technology could learn from previous assumptions about who counts as the public and how benefits or harms can be overly concentrated in certain populations. We situate public interest technology as a growing capability of government public service, an institutionalized professional practice like public interest law, as well as a site of critical inquiry. Our definition of the public interest is motivated by a theory of change that recognizes the strength of inclusion. Punctuated with historic and contemporary examples, this essay argues that by acknowledging conflicts of interest and embracing the marginal, public interest technology could build ethical infrastructures to serve all.

Capital market opening, digital transformation and corporate risk-taking ——empirical evidence from Shanghai Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock connect

"Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect" and "Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock connect", as important policies for the two-way opening of China's capital market, have positive effects on expanding investment channels for investors and improving market liquidity. Taking Shanghai Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock connect as a quasi natural experiment, this paper examines the impact of capital market opening on corporate risk-taking and its mechanism by using a multi period DID model. The empirical results show that the Shanghai Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock connect can reduce corporate risk-taking, and digital transformation plays a positive moderating role between the two; the mechanism analysis finds that the Shanghai Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock connect reduces corporate risk-taking by increasing analysts' attention, and this indirect impact process is also positively moderated by digital transformation. The heterogeneity test finds that the impact of Shanghai Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock connect on corporate risk-taking is mainly reflected in the companies with higher product market competition and faster regional marketization process. The above conclusions provide empirical evidence for the effectiveness of the capital market opening policy at micro level, and provide enlightenment for the role of digital transformation in promoting healthy development of the capital market.

A two-layer strategy for sustainable energy management of microgrid clusters with embedded energy storage system and demand-side flexibility provision

The intermittent nature of renewable energy generation and the fluctuating demands pose persistent challenges in microgrid operations. In response, stakeholders and operators have turned to clustering the geographically adjacent microgrids as a solution. In this context, this paper introduces a novel two-layer energy management strategy for microgrid clusters, utilizing demand-side flexibility and the capabilities of shared battery energy storage (SBES) to minimize operational costs and emissions, while ensuring a spinning reserve within individual microgrids to prevent load-shedding. In the lower layer, the proposed approach devises optimal day-ahead operation policies, while the upper layer employs a cooperative strategy to further optimize the operational efficiency across the entire cluster. The energy management problem is accurately formulated as a mixed integer quadratic programming (MIQP) optimization, which incorporates linear terms in the problem's constraints. The formulation accounts for operational costs associated with SBES including expenses of charging/discharging and changes in operating states (CiOS). Real-world case studies with a cluster of three microgrids in Australia validate the effectiveness of this approach. Results show a reduction in operational costs for the base case scenario by 6.96 % compared to conventional microgrid management strategies. Sensitivity analyses further demonstrate the economic benefits of varying SBES capacity and flexibility pricing, with savings ranging from 6.5 % to 8.1 %. The proposed strategy also reduces CO2 emissions by up to 11.6 %, while improving system reliability. This strategy holds promise for integration into distributed energy systems with high renewable penetration and clustered local grids, offering significant advantages for utility operators and end-users through improved energy efficiency and reduced emissions.

Towards the development and enhancement of Open and Distance Learning policies in Africa: A step by step guide to the game

Purpose: This study sought to explain and understand possible steps for developing and enhancing open and distance learning (ODL) policies in Malawi. Methodology: It thus deployed descriptive and interpretive phenomenological research as advanced by Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger to deeply understand policies, practices and perceptions within higher education institutions (HEIs) in Malawi. It was assumed that human experiences can best be understood through ones immersion into documents, conversations and lived-experiences of the research subjects. Accordingly, we used document analyses, observations and systematic conversations followed by practical activities to enhance the available draft-ODL policies at the selected HEIs. Findings: The study established that many academics had inadequate knowledge on policy formulation using paradigmatic and marginalized philosophical theories. It was also established when policy-makers combine different theories to inform their policies, they gain more advantages than they would have otherwise done. Since education is usually confronted by complex issues, such theoretical amalgamation has paid dividends. While this study inherently took an eccentric approach to research by reconciling Husserl and Heidegger’s contradictions, it also infused some elements of empiricism and conceptual ideals ushering in a mixed methodology that culminated into a transformative paradigm. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Since research is about discovering new knowledge, this study garnered its uniqueness and credibility through such methodical surprises; the approaches that transcended mere theoretical analyses to yielding a tangible ODL policy product. We acknowledge our methodological limitations although such limitations cannot lender our findings invalid. We therefore recommend researchers to try this approach, and share with us their findings.

Improvement of energy efficiency and production performance in a heteroazeotropic batch distillation unit: A study on decanter control and feeding strategy

Dehydration of methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) using a batch distillation unit has been investigated through process simulation. Applying a decanter for upgrading the heteroazeotropic distillation is analyzed in different aspects. The unit performance dependency on the feed quantity, decanter design/control policy, decanter holdup volume, and subsequent phase separation quality are evaluated in detail. Feed quantity is recognized as a key factor influencing unit performance. Although increasing the feed quantity leads to a higher production rate (SPF) and lower specific energy cost (SEC), the optimal feed quantity is identified as the point beyond which further improvements in these variables become negligible. Also, reflux initiating time, liquid–liquid separation grade, loss of the desired component along with the effluent stream, and holdup loss at the end of the process are recognized as functions of decanter holdup quantity. Accordingly, a perfect decanter with a large holdup volume is not necessarily the best option. The evaluation indicates that an effective decanter lies on a larger aqueous phase holdup and smaller organic phase holdup, as long as it is capable of efficiently separating the liquid phases (over 75% separation efficiency for each phase). It is found that applying a well-designed and properly controlled decanter for the mixture separation (MIBK-water) can improve the unit recovery by up to 6% and the production rate (and energy cost) by up to 7% compared to a conventional batch distillation unit. Furthermore, an inverted batch distillation configuration with a gradual feeding policy is applied as an alternative and compared to other operation policies. The feeding schedule is found to be the key factor in this mode. The results reveal that an inverted distillation unit equipped with a properly designed and controlled decanter provides up to 17% improvement in energy and production rate as well as 7% in recovery for a 9% shorter process time compared to a conventional batch distillation unit.

THE IMPACT OF GREEN FINANCE ON BANKING PERFORMANCE IN INDONESIA

Green Finance refers to financial practices that can be described through financial services and products that take environmental sustainability to support sustainable development. The role of green finance is to connect financial goals with the environment to encourage inclusive economic growth. One form of green finance implementation is in financial institutions, especially banking. This study aims to analyze the impact of green finance implementation in the banking sector on banking performance as proxied by the profitability ratio in the 2018-2022 period. The Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) dynamic panel is used. The Green Daily Operation (GDO) and Green Finance Policy (GFP) variables indicate the implementation of green finance in banking. Other independent variables use banking performance ratios consisting of the capital adequacy ratio, non-performing loans, and the bank's operational efficiency ratio. The study results show that green finance represented by implementing GFP can increase profitability, while GDO does not significantly affect banks' profitability in Indonesia. Furthermore, the internal banking ratio that is not significant to profitability is the capital adequacy ratio, while increasing non-performing loans and operational efficiency ratio significantly negatively impacts bank performance because it reduces profitability. This research supports applying the green concept in the banking sector to improve sustainable bank performance.

A Measurement of Aggregate Trade Restrictions and Their Economic Effects

Abstract This study develops a new Measure of Aggregate Trade Restrictions (MATR) using data from the IMF's Annual Report on Exchange Arrangements and Exchange Restrictions. MATR is a measure of direct and indirect official government policy related to the international flow of goods and services. MATR is simple, plausible, quantitative, easily updated, based on relevant measures of trade policy and other international restrictions affecting trade (e.g., payment restrictions), and covers an unbalanced sample of up to 157 countries from 1949 to 2019. MATR is strongly correlated with, and—importantly—more comprehensive, in terms of country and time coverage, than existing measures of de jure openness; it is also granular. As such, MATR empowers empirical analysis to increase coverage in research related to trade restrictions and other trade-related openness policies. MATR is used in the study to show that direct and indirect restrictions to trade are associated with significant contractions in output.

Občanska znanost v splošnih knjižnicah

This paper summarises reflections on citizen science and the role of public libraries as focal points for citizen science. Citizen science has evolved beyond traditional research institutions. Public libraries are often referred to as the cultural and information centre of the local community. They promote equality in their communities through their policy of openness to all. Their role in the local community makes them a logical choice to become the centre of citizen science in their community.Based on a review of the foreign literature on citizen science and libraries as actors in citizen science, this paper presents different ways in which citizen science projects can be integrated into the framework of existing activities of public libraries. We have examined the ways in which citizen science is already present in public libraries and we have identified ways in which its presence can be further enhanced through the introduction of new services related to citizen science.

Analysis and Research on Intelligent Logistics Data under Internet of Things and Blockchain

ABSTRACT To explore the security performance of logistics data transmission in an Intelligent Logistics System (ILS) under the Internet of Things (IoT) and Blockchain (BC), IoT is introduced to optimize the logistics transportation process. First, BC is adopted to improve the ILS under IoT, and ILS under IoT combined with BC is established. Next, an analysis of the relationship between the information service provider and the transportation provider in the logistics transaction process is conducted to perform data analysis and to establish an incentive mechanism for logistics transportation under BC. Finally, the simulation analysis of the constructed model is implemented. The results reveal that the constructed model is highly efficient. It can effectively solve the traceability problem of logistics transaction information, and the calculation cost is stable within 1,000 ms. In the comparative analysis of system transmission performance, the model exhibits outstanding results in transmission latency, consistently maintaining an average delay of approximately 350 ms. This stability is primarily attributed to the seamless integration of BC technology, which optimizes data packet transmission paths and mitigates waiting time. Furthermore, the system efficiently manages high data volumes while upholding robust data processing capabilities, owing to the optimization of smart contracts and decentralized storage mechanisms. As for energy consumption, the model notably reduces overall energy usage within the logistics network by curtailing unnecessary data transmission and computation, particularly in mobile nodes and wireless communication channels. The proposed algorithm excels across various transmission metrics, including transmission delay, data successful acceptance rate, network throughput, and energy consumption are all shown to be the best transmission performance of the proposed algorithm, in which the data successful acceptance rate is close to 1. As a result, the developed ILS model not only guarantees low latency performance but also demonstrates high data transmission security, facilitating more efficient and precise real-time information transmission. In this study, within the ILS framework, the relationship between information service providers and transportation service providers is established through BC, and an incentive mechanism is constructed. However, some shortcomings in this incentive mechanism are recognized. For instance, during the initial stages of BC integration, there are issues of information asymmetry concerning factors such as credit, transportation capacity, and effort level. Moreover, the open access policy of couriers in the model raises concerns, as the access policy itself constitutes sensitive information, which may result in privacy breaches. Hence, as part of future work, the introduction of attribute encryption schemes is planned to obfuscate access policies, thereby safeguarding the privacy of logistics personnel’s access policies.

Influence of Industrial Relations with Ukhuwwah (brotherhood), ‘Adl (justice) and Ihsan (benevolence) among Islamic Universities

The existence of industrial relations with the industrialization drivers has been argued with the persistent competition among different entities, including workers, capitalists, bureaucrats, and authorities, to reduce operating costs while maximizing financial profits. While industrial relations have been relevant through the human resource management of organizations, from the perspectives of Islam, three core values, ukhuwwah (brotherhood), ‘adl (justice), and Ihsan (benevolence) are essential in establishing a harmonious and ethical relationship between employers and employees, which serves as a solid foundation for creating a positive work environment. This study used the grounded theory method through focused group discussion to explore the integration of Islamic values into the industrial relations of Islamic universities. It focuses on insights from participants who emphasized the significance of promoting positive human relationships, incorporating Islamic teachings, and maintaining a balance between procedural work and community-building activities. The study's findings suggest that incorporating these principles can establish a cohesive and morally upright work environment that is advantageous for both employees and organizations. Suggestions for the industrial relations unit, top management, board of governors, and the government involve cultivating strong unity through team-building, maintaining fairness with clear and open policies, and promoting excellence by supporting professional growth and empathetic work conditions.

An argument for open education policy

While many historically contingent barriers to individual liberty have been deconstructed, I argue that current education policy continues to maintain a discriminatory educational milieu that constitutes individuals as dis/abled. I describe this current government formulation of educational spaces as Closed Policy. Various contingent environmental barriers, dynamically intersecting with, for example, gender, class, ethnicity, physiology, and neurodiversity; inhibit individuals due to constructed notions of ability and disability. I draw upon the principles of Open Futures, Open Society, piecemeal social engineering, and prioritarianism to call for a deconstruction of Closed Policy and movement towards Open Policy. I argue that current educational policy is unjust and should be deconstructed to free individuals from coercion, prejudice, and harm. I argue for a shift towards Open Policy so that difference can be celebrated and the potential for Open Futures is maximised.