Central research questions in e‐government, or which trajectory should the study domain take?

To develop the notion of centrality in e‐government (EG) research, and to base the identification of central research areas on that principle. To pave the path towards a more integrated understanding of EG and its phenomena.

The paper analyzes which disciplines contribute to EG. It scrutinizes the scope and orientation of disciplines involved and invested EG. Key high‐level variables in EG are derived from the literature. It is analyzed to what extent major EG phenomena are impacted by those variables and their interaction, which leads to the development of the principle of centrality. Central research areas of EG are identified based on the centrality principle. The integrative interdisciplinary research approach in EG is linked to trends in global science.

The paper finds the areas of transformation, integration, participation, and (information) preservation to be central to EG. It also identifies strong drivers in central EG research towards an integrative interdisciplinary approach.

A systematic review of the extant EG literature is still missing but could be guided by the centrality principle.

When addressing the central areas, EG might manage to develop into an integrative science. In that case, its research results would likely be highly relevant to government practice and academia alike.

The paper develops and defines the principle of centrality in EG research. It identifies central research areas in EG and distinguishes those from non‐central research areas in EG. In so doing, the paper provides guidance and focus, particularly, for integrative EG research.