[okfn-discuss] Alpha ODI Open Data Certificates: comments please!

Mon Apr 8 09:29:55 UTC 2013

Hi Peter,

On 8 Apr 2013, at 08:42, Peter Murray-Rust <pm286 at CAM.AC.UK> wrote:
> It is critical that data is labelled by an independent organization like ODI. because there are initiatives to reduce the scope of openness (certainly in "open Access"). For example some publishers are setting up (data) publication systems where there can be a  price differential between CC-BY and CC-NC - the latter would not earn any TBL stars, let alone 5.

Agreed. But how would that work? A group could get together to pay for CC-BY and then republish under that licence, couldn't they?

> Universities have almost completely failed to show any interest in labelling their published data but I think research funders would welcome an ODI stamp.

Excellent. What I think we should aim towards is a statement like "data must be published to 'standard' or 'exemplar' level against the ODI Open Data Certificate". This is why we need to make sure we get the levels pitched right to enable these statements to be made and to be achievable.

> As a small provider of Open Data I understand the technical difficulties of making a dynamic data set completely available ("dump") and in some cases we may have to have a best-endeavour. The biosciences do very well in making their dynamic data available but they also get considerable funding to do it. I think stamps in that area would be very valuable

It's tricky, and we need to balance ease of implementation and utility of dumps. If it's really hard to achieve the 'standard' level it will devalue the certificate as a whole, so I'd really welcome feedback about the feasibility of the requirements.

Thanks,

Jeni
--
Jeni Tennison, Technical Director   theODI.org
+44 (0) 7974 420 482                @JeniT