[open-government] Defining Open Data

Thu Oct 3 17:28:42 UTC 2013

Thank you Rufus for the explanation.

I see the point in item 1 in the open definition but how about 5 star
deployment scheme for open data:
http://5stardata.info/
http://www.w3.org/DesignIssues/LinkedData.html

The one star states that: Available on the web (whatever format) *but with
an open licence, to be Open Data*
*
*

On Thu, Oct 3, 2013 at 11:53 AM, Rufus Pollock <rufus.pollock at okfn.org>wrote:

> Hi Deniz,
>
> This just concerned with providing a clear, simple definition of open data
> - whether that data is provided by a statistical office, by another part of
> government or by someone else entirely.
>
> Regarding PDF, that's an excellent and common question. This issue is, in
> fact, covered by the Open Definition - and mentioned briefly the post (it
> will be covered further in a follow-up post).
>
> A key requirement for open data as per the Open Definition is that it be
> technically as well as legally open and technical openness requires machine
> readability. Specific item 1 of the Definition states<http://opendefinition.org/okd/>
> :
>
> *The work shall be available as a whole and at no more than a reasonable
> reproduction cost, preferably downloading via the Internet without charge.
> The work must also be available in a convenient and modifiable form.*
> *
> *
> *Comment: This can be summarized as ‘social’ openness – not only are you
> allowed to get the work but you can get it. ‘As a whole’ prevents the
> limitation of access by indirect means, for example by only allowing access
> to a few items of a database at a time (material should be available in
> bulk as necessary). Convenient and modifiable means that material should be machine
> readable (rather than, for example, just human readable).*
>
> A fuller definition of machine readable<http://okfn.org/opendata/glossary/#machine-readable>is provided as part of the open
> data glossary we are maintaining here<http://okfn.org/opendata/glossary/#machine-readable>
> .
>
> Regards,
>
> Rufus
>
>
>
> On 3 October 2013 15:36, Deniz Susar <susar at un.org> wrote:
>
>> From my experience, government officials still get confused between
>> statistics portals and open data portals (OGD catalogues). From the diagram
>> you shared, it implies that the data on statistics portals can also qualify
>> as open data if it is shared with an open license? I think it will be
>> helpful to make the distinction btw statistics portals and OGD catalogues?
>>
>>
>> However, technical openness is not clear, a PDF file with an open
>> license, does it qualify as open data or not?
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Oct 3, 2013 at 10:17 AM, Christian Villum <
>> christian.villum at okfn.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Fresh off the Open Knowledge Foundation blog, by CEO Laura James:
>>>
>>>  Defining Open Data
>>> *October 3, 2013
>>> *
>>>
>>> *Open data is data that can be freely used, shared and built-on by
>>> anyone, anywhere for any purpose*. This is the summary of the full Open
>>> Definition <http://opendefinition.org/okd/> which the Open Knowledge
>>> Foundation <http://okfn.org/> created in 2005 to provide both a
>>> succinct explanation and a detailed definition of open data<http://okfn.org/opendata>
>>> .
>>>
>>> As the open data movement grows, and even more governments and
>>> organisations sign up to open data, it becomes ever more *important
>>> that there is a clear and agreed definition* for what “open data” means
>>> if we are to realise the full benefits of openness, and avoid the risks of
>>> creating incompatibility between projects and splintering the community.
>>>
>>> *Open* can apply to information from any source and about any topic.
>>> Anyone can release their data under an open licence for free use by and
>>> benefit to the public. Although we may think mostly about government and
>>> public sector bodies releasing public information such as budgets or maps,
>>> or researchers sharing their results data and publications, any
>>> organisation can open information (corporations, universities, NGOs,
>>> startups, charities, community groups and individuals).
>>>
>>> There is open information in transport <http://transport.okfn.org/>,
>>> science <http://science.okfn.org/>, products<http://product-open-data.com/>
>>> , education <http://education.okfn.org/>, sustainability<http://sustainability.okfn.org/>
>>> , maps <http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=5/51.500/-0.100>, legislation<http://legislation.okfn.org/>
>>> , libraries <http://openbiblio.net/principles/>, economics<http://openeconomics.net/>
>>> , culture <http://openglam.org/>, development<http://open-development.okfn.org/>
>>> , business <http://opencorporates.com/>, design<http://design.okfn.org/>
>>> , finance <http://openspending.org/> …. So the explanation of what open
>>> means applies to all of these information sources and types. Open may also
>>> apply both to data – big data and small data<http://blog.okfn.org/2013/04/22/forget-big-data-small-data-is-the-real-revolution/> –
>>> or to content, like images, text and music!
>>>
>>> So here we set out clearly what open means, and why this agreed
>>> definition is vital for us to collaborate, share and scale as open data and
>>> open content grow and reach new communities.
>>> What is Open?
>>>
>>> The full Open Definition <http://opendefinition.org/okd/> provides a
>>> precise definition of what open data is. There are 2 important elements to
>>> openness:
>>>
>>>    - *Legal openness*: you must be allowed to get the data legally, to
>>>    build on it, and to share it. Legal openness is usually provided by
>>>    applying an appropriate (open) license<http://opendefinition.org/licenses/> which
>>>    allows for free access to and reuse of the data, or by placing data into
>>>    the public domain.
>>>    - *Technical openness*: there should be no technical barriers to
>>>    using that data. For example, providing data as printouts on paper (or as
>>>    tables in PDF documents) makes the information extremely difficult to work
>>>    with. So the Open Definition has various requirements for “technical
>>>    openness,” such as requiring that data be machine readable and available in
>>>    bulk.
>>>
>>> There are a few key aspects of *open* which the Open Definition<http://opendefinition.org/okd> explains
>>> in detail. Open Data is useable by anyone, regardless of who they are,
>>> where they are, or what they want to do with the data; there must be no
>>> restriction on who can use it, and commercial use is fine too.
>>>
>>> Open data must be available in bulk (so it’s easy to work with) and it
>>> should be available free of charge, or at least at no more than a
>>> reasonable reproduction cost. The information should be digital, preferably
>>> available by downloading through the internet, and easily processed by a
>>> computer too (otherwise users can’t fully exploit the power of data – that
>>> it can be combined together to create new insights).
>>>
>>> Open Data must permit people to use it, re-use it, and redistribute it,
>>> including intermixing with other datasets and distributing the results.
>>>
>>> The Open Definition <http://opendefinition.org/okd> generally doesn’t
>>> allow conditions to be placed on how people can use Open Data, but it does
>>> permit a data provider to require that data users credit them in some
>>> appropriate way, make it clear if the data has been changed, or that any
>>> new datasets created using their data are also shared as open data.
>>>
>>> There are 3 important principles behind this definition of *open*,
>>> which are why Open Data is so powerful:
>>>
>>>    - *Availability and Access*: that people can get the data
>>>    - *Re-use and Redistribution*: that people can reuse and share the
>>>    data
>>>    - *Universal Participation*: that anyone can use the data
>>>
>>> Governance of the Open Definition
>>>
>>> Since 2007, the Open Definition has been governed by an Advisory Council<http://opendefinition.org/advisory-council/>.
>>> This is the group formally responsible for maintaining and developing the
>>> Definition and associated material. Its mission is to take forward Open
>>> Definition work for the general benefit of the open knowledge community,
>>> and it has specific responsibility for deciding on what licences comply
>>> with the Open Definition.
>>>
>>> The Council is a community-run body. New members of the Council can be
>>> appointed at any time by agreement of the existing members of the Advisory
>>> Council, and are selected for demonstrated knowledge and competence in the
>>> areas of work of the Council.
>>>
>>> The Advisory Council operates in the open and anyone can join the
>>> mailing list <http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/od-discuss>.
>>> About the Open Definition
>>>
>>> The Open Definition <http://opendefinition.org/okd/> was created in
>>> 2005 by the Open Knowledge Foundation with input from many people. The
>>> Definition was based directly on the Open Source Definition<http://opensource.org/osd-annotated>
>>>  from the Open Source Initiative <http://opensource.org/> and we were
>>> able to reuse most of these well-established principles and practices that
>>> the free and open source community had developed for software, and apply
>>> them to data and content.
>>>
>>> Thanks to the efforts of many translators in the community, the Open
>>> Definition is available in 30+ languages<http://opendefinition.org/okd/>
>>> .
>>> More about openness coming soon
>>>
>>> In coming days we’ll post more on the theme of explaining openness,
>>> including a more detailed exploration of the Open Definition, the
>>> relationship of the Open Definition to specific sets of principles for
>>> openness – such as the Sunlight Foundation’s 10 principles<http://sunlightfoundation.com/policy/documents/ten-open-data-principles/> and
>>> Tim Berners-Lee’s 5 star system<http://www.w3.org/DesignIssues/LinkedData.html>,
>>> why having a shared and agreed definition of open data is so important, and
>>> how one can go about “doing open data”.
>>> - See original post at:
>>> http://blog.okfn.org/2013/10/03/defining-open-data/
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> Christian Villum
>>>
>>> Community Manager, Open Government Data + Local Groups Network
>>> skype: christianvillum  |  @villum <http://www.twitter.com/villum>
>>> The Open Knowledge Foundation <http://okfn.org/>
>>> *Empowering through Open Knowledge
>>> *http://okfn.org/  |  @okfn <http://twitter.com/OKFN>  |  OKF on
>>> Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/OKFNetwork>  |  Blog<http://blog.okfn.org/>
>>>   |  Newsletter <http://okfn.org/about/newsletter>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Best Regards,
>> Deniz
>> ________________________________________
>> Mr. Deniz Susar
>> Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM)
>> United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)
>> Tel: +1 212 963 8421
>> Email: susar at un.org
>> Twitter: @denizsusar
>> Skype: denizsusar
>>
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>>
>
>
> --
> *
>
>  Rufus Pollock
>
> Founder and Executive Director | skype: rufuspollock | @rufuspollock<https://twitter.com/rufuspollock>
>
> The Open Knowledge Foundation <http://okfn.org/>
>
> Empowering through Open Knowledge
> http://okfn.org/ | @okfn <http://twitter.com/OKFN> | OKF on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/OKFNetwork>|
> Blog <http://blog.okfn.org/>  |  Newsletter<http://okfn.org/about/newsletter>
>
> *
>

-- 
Best Regards,
Deniz
________________________________________
Mr. Deniz Susar
Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM)
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)
Tel: +1 212 963 8421
Email: susar at un.org
Twitter: @denizsusar
Skype: denizsusar
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