[open-government] Defining Open Data

Fri Oct 4 04:04:31 UTC 2013

Hi Michael.

My initial reaction to your question would be "no, the data openness
and software openness are different." An analogy is that you can use
non-open operating system to write code for open source software.

But then, when it comes to a wholesale copying of open data portal,
(i.e. if one wants to create a mirror site with a copy of the open data
portal and each and every data set listed), openness of the data portal
software is somewhat important.

Best,

Tomo
 OKF Japan/ CC Japan/ GLOCOM

On 10/4/13, Michael Roberts <michael.roberts at acclar.org> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have question related to technical openness in regards to software systems
> that generate the open data (possibly dynamically through an API).
> Do you see a relationship between the systems that produce the data and the
> data itself.  Do the systems in any way affect the technical openness
> (required in the definition) when they themselves often do not follow the
> principles of openness listed below.
>
> Cheers,
> Michael
>
> On 2013-10-03, at 2:25 PM, Rufus Pollock <rufus.pollock at okfn.org> wrote:
>
>> 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:
>>
>> 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 is provided as part of the open
>> data glossary we are maintaining here.
>>
>> 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
>> which the Open Knowledge Foundation created in 2005 to provide both a
>> succinct explanation and a detailed definition of open data.
>>
>> 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, science, products, education,
>> sustainability, maps, legislation, libraries, economics, culture,
>> development, business, design, finance …. 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 – 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 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 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 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 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.
>> 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.
>>
>> About the Open Definition
>> The Open Definition was created in 2005 by the Open Knowledge Foundation
>> with input from many people. The Definition was based directly on the Open
>> Source Definition from the Open Source Initiative 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.
>>
>> 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 and Tim
>> Berners-Lee’s 5 star system, 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
>> The Open Knowledge Foundation
>> Empowering through Open Knowledge
>> http://okfn.org/  |  @okfn  |  OKF on Facebook  |  Blog  |  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
>> The Open Knowledge Foundation
>> Empowering through Open Knowledge
>> http://okfn.org/  |  @okfn  |  OKF on Facebook  |  Blog  |  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
>> The Open Knowledge Foundation
>> Empowering through Open Knowledge
>> http://okfn.org/  |  @okfn  |  OKF on Facebook  |  Blog  |  Newsletter
>>
>>
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>> open-government mailing list
>> open-government at lists.okfn.org
>> http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/open-government
>> Unsubscribe: http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/options/open-government
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Michael Roberts -- Acclar Open Aid Data
> Skype: mroberts_112
>
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