Context The Open Data 500, funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation (http://www.knightfoundation.org/) and conducted by the GovLab, is the first comprehensive study of U.S. companies that use open government data to generate new business and develop new products and services. Study Goals * Provide a basis for assessing the economic value of government open data * Encourage the development of new open data companies * Foster a dialogue between government and business on how government data can be made more useful The Govlab's Approach The Open Data 500 study is conducted by the GovLab at New York University with funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The GovLab works to improve people’s lives by changing how we govern, using technology-enabled solutions and a collaborative, networked approach. As part of its mission, the GovLab studies how institutions can publish the data they collect as open data so that businesses, organizations, and citizens can analyze and use this information. Company Identification The Open Data 500 team has compiled our list of companies through (1) outreach campaigns, (2) advice from experts and professional organizations, and (3) additional research. **Outreach Campaign** * Mass email to over 3,000 contacts in the GovLab network * Mass email to over 2,000 contacts OpenDataNow.com * Blog posts on TheGovLab.org and OpenDataNow.com * Social media recommendations * Media coverage of the Open Data 500 * Attending presentations and conferences **Expert Advice** * Recommendations from government and non-governmental organizations * Guidance and feedback from Open Data 500 advisors **Research** * Companies identified for the book, Open Data Now * Companies using datasets from Data.gov * Directory of open data companies developed by Deloitte * Online Open Data Userbase created by Socrata * General research from publicly available sources What The Study Is Not The Open Data 500 is not a rating or ranking of companies. It covers companies of different sizes and categories, using various kinds of data. The Open Data 500 is not a competition, but an attempt to give a broad, inclusive view of the field. The Open Data 500 study also does not provide a random sample for definitive statistical analysis. Since this is the first thorough scan of companies in the field, it is not yet possible to determine the exact landscape of open data companies.