Interoperable systems that are trusted and secure. Current system development methodologies cannot deal well with the scope and diversity of users, customers, and stakeholders that are involved in large government information systems. Research is needed to understand the potential for and the limits of system integration and scalability in technological, organizational, and political terms.

Methods and measures of citizen participation in democratic processes. Internet technologies can facilitate a more personal involvement in the institutions and processes of government. Easy public access to information, electronic voting, instant public opinion polls, and other possibilities raise important questions about the nature of citizenship, the role of political leadership, and limits of change in democratic institutions.

Models of electronic public service transactions and delivery systems. With the proliferation of the Internet among government agencies and citizens, it is possible to offer new services, integrated services, and self-service in ways and places never before possible. New methods of authentication, record-keeping, security, and access are all needed, as well as new methods of measuring costs and benefits.

New models for public-private partnerships and other networked organizational forms. Given the diversity of players involved in delivering government services, developing effective IT systems often requires new coalitions of partners at all levels of government, and between government and the private and nonprofit sectors. The complexity of the resulting organizational and technological relationships is daunting. Considerable legal, economic, ethical, political, and technological questions attend this evolution to new organizational arrangements.

Intuitive decision support tools for public officials. Technologies and data standards that encourage information search, selection, analysis, and sharing can strongly influence the nature and effectiveness of decision making by elected officials, senior executives, and program managers alike. The use of new tools by decision makers may also have implications for public participation and open government.

Archiving and electronic records management. More and more information now resides in electronic rather than physical files, generating new issues around record definition and content, version control, public access, ongoing preservation, and the ability of government to maintain history and accountability.

Better methods of IT management. Government IT managers need ways to design and maintain more efficient, flexible, and affordable systems.Design processes, project and contract management, leadership models, and strategies for dealing with a shortage of IT professionals are all critical areas for applied research.

Matching research resources to government needs. Applied research is usually not rewarded by academic value systems. As a consequence, researchers often pursue theoretical research instead of field work. Practitioners generally cannot or will not wait for the results of traditional research to influence their decisions, therefore, they seldom make use of research results. The best forms of research on Digital Government must overcome these obstacles and lead to readily useable knowledge.