Data Openness Regulation
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Embraces Open Data Policy
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is making strides in its Open Data efforts, as part of its commitment to Open Government and Digital Government Strategy. This initiative aims to foster engagement with citizen developers and promote transparency.
Under the Open Data policy, NARA is mandated to open data and information in machine-readable formats, following Executive Order (EO) 13642 and Open Data Policy - Managing Information as an Asset (M-13-13). The agency's Open Data efforts encompass a data inventory schedule and a data publication process.
All data assets contained within NARA's Enterprise Data Inventory are available on Data.gov, including public and non-public data assets. The Public Data Listing, once a separate file, is now collectively considered part of the agency's Enterprise Data Inventory.
Users can access the Enterprise Data Inventory and previous inventories, with the entire inventory available in json format. Additionally, users can suggest new formats for data assets they would like to see made available. NARA invites suggestions for expanding the Public Data listing via comments on the NARAtions Blog post "Have Your Say: Open More Data", email to [email protected], or by creating a new issue on the Github repository.
It's worth noting that in July of 2020, the NARA Data Governance Board selected the Federal Government Data Maturity Model for use in performing a Data Maturity Assessment of NARA. However, as of August 2025, the current status of NARA's data maturity assessment using the Federal Government Data Maturity Model cannot be determined from the available data. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, consulting NARA’s official publications, announcements, or direct inquiries to NARA would be necessary.
Public data assets within NARA's Enterprise Data Inventory are available in various formats, including xml, csv, pdf, and html. This open data initiative underscores NARA's commitment to promoting accessibility and transparency in government data management.
Technology and data-and-cloud-computing play significant roles in the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)'s Open Data policy. NARA uses technology to make data assets, such as public and non-public data, available in machine-readable formats like XML, CSV, and json, thereby promoting data accessibility and transparency.
