E-government research is an interdisciplinary field that examines how public administration uses information technology to deliver public services and engage citizens. It analyzes concepts like digital, mobile, and open government. E-government research draws from disciplines like public administration, information science, and computer science. The scope has expanded from a focus on technology use to its impact on public policy and governance. There is a growing body of literature in the field indexed in the E-Government Reference Library, though the field lacks unified theories. Topics of research include e-services, e-participation, and the use of technologies like social media and open data in government.

1. eGovernment as a research field
Mariusz Luterek
m.luterek@uw.edu.pl

2. Talking points
1. What is e-government?
2. Scope of e-Government research
3. e-Government reference library
4. Conclusions

3. What is e-government?

4. Evolving definition of e-government
Source Definition
2001 Benchmarking E-government: A
Global Perspective (UNDESA, 2001)
E-government is ‘a tool for information
and service provision to citizens’
United Nations Global E-Government
Readiness Report 2004: Towards Access
for Opportunity (UNDESA, 2004)
E-government is what enhances the
capacity of public administration through
the use of ICTs to increase the supply of
public value (i.e., to deliver the things
that people want).
United Nations E-Government Survey
2008: From E-Government to Connected
Governance (UNDESA, 2008)
E-government is the continuous
innovation in the delivery of services,
public participation and governance
through the transformation of external
and internal relationships by the use of
information technology, especially the
Internet.

5. Evolving definition of e-government (2)
Source Definition
UN E-Government Survey 2014: E-
Government for the Future We Want
(UNDESA, 2014)
E-government can be referred to as the
use and application of information
technologies in public administration to
streamline and integrate workflows and
processes, to effectively manage data and
information, enhance public service
delivery, as well as expand
communication channels for engagement
and empowerment of people.

6. eGovernment development waves
Supply driven
Citizen
centric
Coproduction
Singh, S.; Castelnovo, W.: e-Government:A time for critical reflection and more? [In:] Singh, S.; Castelnovo, W. (eds.): Leading issues in e-Governmen Research vol. 2.

7. Scope of e-Government research
Previous
approach
Previous
approach
• „how to use the
information and
technology to
support and
improve provision
of public services”
Current
approach
Current
approach
• „how to use the information
and technology to support
and improve public policies
and government operations,
engage citizens, and provide
comprehensive and timely
government services”

8. e-Government Concepts
Digial
government
Mobile
government
Ubiquitous
government
Transformational
government
eDemocracy
Networked
government
Smart
government
Open
government
eGovernment

9. E-Government as a research field
spans across the boundaries
of many existing disciplines
• public administration,
political sciences,
organizational sciences,
information science,
computer science,
information systems
research, sociology, library
science, statistics, law and
ethics
should be established as a
multi-, inter-, and
transdisciplinary
• With this approach e-
government research
would concentrate on
“what government can
properly and successfully
do with information and
information technology”,
as well as on “how it can
do these proper things
with the utmost possible
efficiency and at the least
possible cost either of
money or energy”

10. Types of papers
Category Description
Descriptive Describes a phenomenon in its appearance without the any use
of theory
Philosophical Reflects upon a phenomenon without data or reference to any
theory
Theoretical Reflects upon phenomenon based on some theory but without
empirical data or with only anecdotal and particular such
Theory generating Attempts to analyse/interpret quantitative or qualitative data in
systematic manner for the purpose of model building
Theory testing Attempts to test a theory using quantitative or qualitative data in
a systematic manner, i.e. not just strict theory testing
Gronlund, A.; Andersson, A.: E-Gov Research Quality Improvemetns Since 2003: More Rigor, but Research (Perhaps) Redefined.
[In:] Wimmer, M. (ed.): Electronic Government, Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg 2006, pp. 1-12.

11. EGOV Conference
Category 2003 2005
Descriptive 57 (61%) 54 (68%)
Philosophical 3 (3%) 0 (0%)
Theoretical 12 (13%) 1 (1%)
Theory generating 12 (13%) 14 (18 %)
Theory testing 10 (11%) 11 (14%)
1. The share of descriptive research has increased
2. Theoretical research has decreased to the point of extinction
Gronlund, A.; Andersson, A.: E-Gov Research Quality Improvemetns Since 2003: More Rigor, but Research (Perhaps) Redefined.
[In:] Wimmer, M. (ed.): Electronic Government, Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg 2006, pp. 1-12.

12. Indicators and dimensions of
what defines a discipline
Criteria e-Government Research
Formal definition of the
discipline/field
A widely accepted formal definition of EGR exists
A common base of
knowledge
The accumulated knowledge on the subjects of EGR is rapidly
growing (EGRL, publicly funded projects)
A unique cluster of
research problems
EGR uniquely intersects advanced IS- and IT- and government –
related research problems, widely unaddressed before
Unifying theories Theoretical contributions have neither created a grand or unifying
theory, nor a set of competing theories
An accepted set of
procedures and methods
Large range of procedures and methods representing very different
fields and epistemic paradigms are being used
Shared vision of the
discipline/field’s impact
Under development
Scholl, H.: Is e-Government Research a Flash in the Pan or Here for the Long Shot?
[In:] Wimmer, M. (ed.): Electronic Government,Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg 2006, pp. 13-24.

13. Native theories in e-government
Theory Some predictions/propositions
arising from the theory
Informatization public administration will be changed in various ways
by ICT
Infocracy changes in work processes and organisations
resulting from ICT
Theories of surveillance will change the relationship between the citizen and
the state
New forms of steering ICT will lead to new forms and modes of leadership
Over government government intrusion and regulatory expansion will
be driven by ICTs
Theories about transparency greater transparency does not lead to greater trust
Virtual organisations emergence of new forms of government
organisations and networks
Frank Bannister , Regina Connolly: The great theory hunt: Does e-government really have a problem? Government Information Quarterly 32 (2015) 1–11

14. Criteria for inclusion in the EGRL
At minimum a paper or article must:
• Have passed an academic peer review process
• Be published in the proceedings of an academic
conference or in an academic journal
• Be published in English (or, if published in
another language, an English-language
translation must be publicly available)
• Be of at least seven pages (or equivalently, 3,700
words) in length (including references) for a non-
technical article
• Be of at least four pages (2,250 words) in length
(including references) for a technical article
At minimum a paper or article must:
• Have passed an academic peer review process
• Be published in the proceedings of an academic
conference or in an academic journal
• Be published in English (or, if published in
another language, an English-language
translation must be publicly available)
• Be of at least seven pages (or equivalently, 3,700
words) in length (including references) for a non-
technical article
• Be of at least four pages (2,250 words) in length
(including references) for a technical article
The E-Government ReferenceLibrary. http://faculty.washington.edu/jscholl/egrl/index.php

15. Criteria for inclusion in the EGRL (2)
Core Journals
• Government Information Quarterly (GIQ)
• Information Polity (IP)
• International Journal of Electronic
Government Research (IJEGR)
• International Journal of Public
Administration in the Digital Age (IJPADA)
• Transforming Government: People,
Process and Policy (TGPPP)
• Journal of Information Technology &
Politics (JITP)
• Electronic Government, an International
Journal (EGaIJ)
• Electronic Journal of Electronic
Government (EJEG)
Core Conferences
• HICSS (Hawaii International Conference
on System Sciences - e-Gov track)
• IFIP EGOV (International Federation for
Information Processing)
• dg.o (Digital Government Society of North
America)
• ICEGOV (International Conference on
Theory and Practice of Electronic
Governance)
• CeDEM (International Conference for E-
Democracy and Open Government )
The E-Government ReferenceLibrary. http://faculty.washington.edu/jscholl/egrl/index.php

16. Number of publications referenced in EGRL
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
X
2005
VII
2006
I
2008
VIII
2008
IV
2009
V
2009
I
2010
XII
2010
III
2011
XII
2011
VI
2012
XII
2012
VI
2013
XII
2013
III
2014
VI
2014
I
2015
VII
2015
XII
2015
VII
2016
III
2017
„We estimate that the
references contained in EGRL
represent more than 90
percent of the extant peer-
reviewed, English-language
literature in EG.”
The E-Government ReferenceLibrary. http://faculty.washington.edu/jscholl/egrl/index.php

17. Source of references
% 1 2
JOURNALS 46,2
Core Journals 23,6 Electronic
Government, An
International Journal
Government
Information Quarterly
Other Journals 22,5
Conferences 44,2
Core conferences 30,14 IFIP EGOV HICSS
Other conferences 14,06

18. Main topics in e-government research
cloud computing crisis management
cybersecurity and
government
digital divide e-campaigning
e-democracy e-participation e-politics e-rulemaking e-services
e-voting infrastructure internet of things interoperability
information
systems
mobile and
government
open government open data big data
PMIS (Public
Management
Information
Systems)
smart government social media
The E-Government ReferenceLibrary. http://faculty.washington.edu/jscholl/egrl/index.php

19. Conclusions
Organization, management, and transformation
emerged as the dominant focal area of EGR
EGR is underdeveloped in terms of foundations and
standards of inquiry
The core group of active EG researchers is relatively
small and accounts for under 10 percent of the EG
author population
Information science as a discipline is
underrepresented in EGR, however iSchool from
the University of Washington is a major player