Who Owns Construction Data?: Examining Governance and Accountability in Digital Construction Projects

Abstract

The rapid adoption of digital technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), the Internet of Things (IoT), and data-driven platforms has significantly increased the volume and strategic value of project data in the construction industry. Despite these technological advancements, the ownership and governance of construction data remain unclear, creating potential disputes among project stakeholders and limiting effective collaboration in digitally enabled project environments. This study examines the governance challenges associated with construction data ownership and identifies suitable ownership models for managing digital project information. A systematic literature review was conducted using the Scopus and Web of Science databases following the PRISMA framework to ensure a transparent article selection process. Peer reviewed publications from 2017 to 2025 were analyzed using thematic synthesis to identify recurring governance issues and ownership structures in construction data management. The findings reveal that data ownership challenges in construction arise from three key dimensions: legal ambiguity, ethical considerations related to stakeholder equity, and social within multi-stakeholder project environments. The review further categorizes governance approaches into centralized, decentralized, and hybrid ownership models, each reflecting different levels of control, transparency, and stakeholder participation. By integrating these governance models with utility theory, this study proposes a conceptual framework that explains how ownership arrangements influence collaboration, accountability, and the collective value of construction data. The study contributes to the growing discourse on digital construction governance by providing a structured understanding of data ownership dynamics and offering insights for developing clearer governance frameworks for digital construction projects.