Public Trust and Sustainable Digital Governance: Examining Open Government Data in Caribbean Small Island Developing States

Public trust is essential for the effectiveness and long-term sustainability of open government data (OGD) initiatives, particularly in small island developing states (SIDS), where digital governance systems often operate under infrastructural and institutional constraints. Despite growing global research on OGD trust, limited research has examined how the quality dimensions of information systems’ success models shape citizens’ trust in OGD platforms within Caribbean SIDS. This study examines the hypothesised relationships between service quality, system quality, information quality, data quality, and public trust in OGD using an extended information systems success model (ISSM). Data were collected through an online survey of 904 respondents across Caribbean SIDS and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that all proposed relationships were statistically significant. Data quality showed the strongest statistical association with public trust, followed by system quality. Service quality was also significantly associated with system, information, and data quality. In addition, system, information, and data quality showed significant indirect statistical relationships in the association between service quality and public trust in OGD. This study extends the ISSM framework by conceptualising data quality as a distinct construct within OGD environments. The findings provide practical insights for governments seeking to strengthen transparency, citizen engagement, and sustainable digital governance through higher-quality OGD systems and datasets. The results further highlight the role of open government platforms in improving public service delivery by providing citizens with complete, accurate, and accessible data, interactive feedback mechanisms, and effective data visualisation tools that support informed decision-making and public participation.