Open data: Accountability and transparency

In high-level visions of open data, researchers' data and metadata practices are expected to be robust and structured. The integration of the internet into scientific institutions amplifies these expectations.

When examined critically, however, the data and metadata practices of scholarly researchers often appear incomplete or deficient. The concepts of "accountability"' and "transparency" provide insight in understanding these perceived gaps. Researchers' primary accountabilities are related to meeting the expectations of research competency, not to external standards of data deposition or metadata creation.