Purpose This paper aims to summarize the open government data (OGD) research which has been become an increasingly engaging domain for the academic community. Design/methodology/approach Scanning the literature on OGD, the paper underlines the different strands observable in the OGD-based research. The paper concludes with research pointers, limitations and implications for practitioners. Findings OGD has been investigated from different angles, and there is a need for more empirical investigation across contexts. Originality/value The paper serves as a reference point for OGD research.