Keeping an Open Mind

OPEN DATA

SUZANNE VAN DEN HOOGEN, MLISSTFX UNIVERSITY

DLI WORKSHOPFREDERICTON, NB

APRIL 28, 2015

Outline• What is Open Data?

• What are the benefits of Open Data?

• What can we do with Open Data?

• What are some challenges with Open Data?

• How can we support Open Data?

• Group Activity: SWOT Analysis• Strengths• Weaknesses• Opportunities• Threats

What is Open Data

Version 2.0

Open Data is defined as structured data that is:

•machine-readable,•freely shared,•used and built on without restrictions

Government of Canada. (April 19, 2015). Open data 101. Retrieved from:

http://open.canada.ca/en/open-data-principles

Open Definition. (n.d.). Open definition version 2.0. Retrieved from: http://opendefinition.org/od/

What are the benefits of Open Data

• Innovation & Engagement

• Government Accountability & Transparency

• Open & Unrestricted Access to Government Data

• Research Support

• Proactive Disclosure

Government of Canada. (April 19, 2015). Open data 101. Retrieved from: http://open.canada.ca/en/open-data-principles

What can we do with Open Data

The Canadian Open Data Experience (CODE) is the first nationwide Open Data Hackathon in Canada. An intense 48-hour coding sprint where innovators from coast to coast compete to build the best app utilizing federal government data from the Canadian Open Data Portal.Code 2014 Winners

What are some challenges with Open Data• Interpretation• Standards

• Re-use of data. • Restrictions?• Privacy?

• Storage• Governments? • Libraries? • Institutional Repositories?• Researchers?

• Data Awareness & Data Loss

• Access• Digital Divide

In the News…

Image source: http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=1a764df130113410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

Tossell, I. (January 30, 2009). Open-source politics breathe fresh air into the Big Smoke. Globe and Mail. Retrieved from:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/open-source-politics-breathe-fresh-air-into-the-big- smoke/article1147947/

“When you open up the data, there's no limit to what people can do,"

said Mayor David Miller this week. "It engages

the imagination of citizens in building the

city.“David Miller, Mayor of TorontoJanuary 30, 2009

Canada

“The way to make government responsible is to hold it accountable. And the way to

make it accountable is [to] make it transparent so the American people can

know exactly what decisions are being made, how they’re being made, and whether their interests are being well

served.”

Barack Obama, President of the United StatesJanuary 21, 2009

Obama, B. (January 21, 2009). Remarks by the President in welcoming senior staff and cabinet secretaries to the White House. Retrieved

from: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-welcoming-senior-staff-and-cabinet-secretaries-white-house

United States

"I have an important announcement to

make—starting January 1, 2015 we will provide all our online data free-

of-charge to everyone.”

Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund

November 18, 2014

Lagarde, C. (November 18, 2014). The second IMF statistical forum—Statistics for policymaking: Welcoming remarks. Retrieved from:

http://www.imf.org/external/np/speeches/2014/111814.htm

Image Source: http://www.imf.org/external/np/speeches/2014/111814.htm

International

How can we support Open Data

• National Infrastructure

• Institutional Repositories

• Research Support

• Workshops

• Awareness campaigns

Group ActivitySWOT ANALYSIS

Open Data: SWOT Analysis

Strengths Weaknesses

ThreatsOpportunities

Open Data: SWOT ANALYSIS

Open Data: SWOT ANALYSISWeaknesseso Lack of Metadata

o Authoritative?

o Lack of Standardso Privacy Issueso Biaseso Manipulation of Data: Data Integrity

o Knowing how to use Machine Readable Data

o Is the data aggregated? Good for basic analysis only

o Data preservation & Currency

Open Data: SWOT ANALYSISOpportunitieso Reconceptualizing information in a new way

o Creating New Apps, software, tools

o Security of the data: Reliability

o Provides transparency and accountability of providers, i.e., institutions, government.

o Open Community - Opportunity to Collaborate

o Accessibility: Removing barriers

Open Data: SWOT ANALYSISThreatso Privacy/Security

o Preservation (Lack of)

o Accessibility

o Nefarious Purposes: Misrepresentation, bias, etc.

o Storage (Cost, infrastructure)

o Responsibility, Liability

o Quality: Questionable, Useful, Standardization

Open Data ResourcesOpen Canada – Open Data: http://open.canada.ca/en/open-data

• Open Data 101: http://open.canada.ca/en/open-data-principles

Open Data handbook: http://opendatahandbook.org/pdf/OpenDataHandbook.pdf

Open Data Institute: http://opendatainstitute.org/

Open Data Portal: http://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset

Open Data Registry: http://opendataregistry.com/

Open Data Subject Guide: http://stfx.libguides.com/opendata

Open Definition: http://opendefinition.org/od/