[open-government] Defining Open Data

Thu Oct 3 18:25:17 UTC 2013

5 star open data I don't think was intended to a be precise definition so
much as a scheme for encouraging better quality open data. Crudely open
data as specified by the Open Definition equates to 3 star in the 5 star
scheme (5 stars, crudely, equated to linked open data, i.e. open data that
is also linked data).

Rufus

On 3 October 2013 18:28, Deniz Susar <susar at un.org> wrote:

> 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
>

-- 
*

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>

*
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