[okfn-discuss] OECD paper on publishing standards for datasets

Thu May 28 18:51:21 UTC 2009

Thought this might be of interest. The paper suggests a list of
required fields for datasets. Could be something to think about with
respect to CKAN and similar projects.

Jonathan

We Need Publishing Standards for Datasets and Data Tables
http://www.oecd.org/document/25/0,3343,en_21571361_33915056_42600857_1_1_1_1,00.html

On 20th April 2009, OECD has released a white paper, We Need
Publishing Standards for Datasets and Data Tables, which examines the
problems with current data discoverability and citations and the
remedy in creating industry standards for bibliographic dataset
metadata and linking.

Written by Toby Green, Head of Publishing at OECD and an expert in
data publishing, the paper details the problems with user ability to
locate and reference online data. Datasets are a significant part of
the scholarly record and being published much more frequently but with
widely inconsistent metadata, links and citations.

The paper proposes bibliographic metadata standards that could be
implemented to provide users and librarians with data that is as
accessible and as easy to find and catalogue as written works like
journal articles and book chapters.  By following existing scholarly
metadata standards, datasets can easily utilise the existing discovery
channels that are used by e-journals and e-books, including library
systems, cross reference linking, publishing platforms, and search
engines.

The paper provides straightforward standards that publishers,
librarians and data providers can implement to improve the
accessibility and usage of important datasets, both the data that
underlies scholarly works and data in that is published in its own
right.

Permanent URL for the white paper which includes a summary of the
standards proposed and an annex with the detailed proposal:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/603233448430.

-- 
Jonathan Gray

Community Coordinator
The Open Knowledge Foundation
http://www.okfn.org