Open Government Data Tutorial at CLEI 2013. Part 1 - Introduction

Editor's Notes

• #10: http://www.infogineering.net/data-information-knowledge.htmKnowledgeFirstly, let’s look at Knowledge. Knowledge is what we know. Think of this as the map of the World we build inside our brains. Like a physical map, it helps us knowwhere things are – but it contains more than that. It also contains our beliefs and expectations. “If I do this, I will probably get that.” Crucially, the brain links all these things together into a giant network of ideas, memories, predictions, beliefs, etc.It is from this “map” that we base our decisions, not the real world itself. Our brains constantly update this map from the signals coming through our eyes, ears, nose, mouth and skin.You can’t currently store knowledge in anything other than a brain, because a brain connects it all together. Everything is inter-connected in the brain. Computers are not artificial brains. They don’t understand what they are processing, and can’t make independent decisions based upon what you tell them.There are two sources that the brain uses to build this knowledge - information and data.DataData is/are the facts of the World. For example, take yourself. You may be 5ft tall, have brown hair and blue eyes. All of this is “data”. You have brown hair whether this is written down somewhere or not.In many ways, data can be thought of as a description of the World. We can perceive this data with our senses, and then the brain can process this.Human beings have used data as long as we’ve existed to form knowledge of the world.Until we started using information, all we could use was data directly. If you wanted to know how tall I was, you would have to come and look at me. Our knowledge was limited by our direct experiences.InformationInformation allows us to expand our knowledge beyond the range of our senses. We can capture data in information, then move it about so that other people can access it at different times.Here is a simple analogy for you.If I take a picture of you, the photograph is information. But what you look like is data.I can move the photo of you around, send it to other people via e-mail etc. However, I’m not actually moving you around – or what you look like. I’m simply allowing other people who can’t directly see you from where they are to know what you look like. If I lose or destroy the photo, this doesn’t change how you look.So, in the case of the lost tax records, the CDs were information. The information was lost, but the data wasn’t. Mrs Jones still lives at 14 Whitewater road, and she was still born on 15th August 1971.The Infogineering Model (below) explains how these interact…
• #26: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/open-data-charter/g8-open-data-charter-and-technical-annexPrinciple 1: Open Data by Default11) We recognise that free access to, and subsequent re-use of, open data are of significant value to society and the economy.12) We agree to orient our governments towards open data by default.13) We recognise that the term government data is meant in the widest sense possible. This could apply to data owned by national, federal, local, or international government bodies, or by the wider public sector.14) We recognise that there is national and international legislation, in particular pertaining to intellectual property, personally-identifiable and sensitive information, which must be observed.15) We will: establish an expectation that all government data be published openly by default, as outlined in this Charter, while recognising that there are legitimate reasons why some data cannot be released.2.Principle 2: Quality and Quantity16) We recognise that governments and the public sector hold vast amounts of information that may be of interest to citizens.17) We also recognise that it may take time to prepare high-quality data, and the importance of consulting with each other and with national, and wider, open data users to identify which data to prioritise for release or improvement.18) We will:release high-quality open data that are timely, comprehensive, and accurate. To the extent possible, data will be in their original, unmodified form and at the finest level of granularity available;ensure that information in the data is written in plain, clear language, so that it can be understood by all, though this Charter does not require translation into other languages;make sure that data are fully described, so that consumers have sufficient information to understand their strengths, weaknesses, analytical limitations, and security requirements, as well as how to process the data; andrelease data as early as possible, allow users to provide feedback, and then continue to make revisions to ensure the highest standards of open data quality are met.3.Principle 3: Usable by All19) We agree to release data in a way that helps all people to obtain and re-use it.20) We recognise that open data should be available free of charge in order to encourage their most widespread use.21) We agree that when open data are released, it should be done without bureaucratic or administrative barriers, such as registration requirements, which can deter people from accessing the data.22) We will:release data in open formats wherever possible, ensuring that the data are available to the widest range of users for the widest range of purposes; andrelease as much data as possible, and where it is not possible to offer free access at present, promote the benefits and encourage the allowance of free access to data. In many cases this will include providing data in multiple formats, so that they can be processed by computers and understood by people.4.Principle 4: Releasing Data for Improved Governance23) We recognise that the release of open data strengthens our democratic institutions and encourages better policy-making to meets the needs of our citizens. This is true not only in our own countries but across the world.24) We also recognise that interest in open data is growing in other multilateral organisations and initiatives.25) We will:share technical expertise and experience with each other and with other countries across the world so that everyone can reap the benefits of open data; andbe transparent about our own data collection, standards, and publishing processes, by documenting all of these related processes online.5.Principle 5: Releasing Data for Innovation26) Recognising the importance of diversity in stimulating creativity and innovation, we agree that the more people and organisations that use our data, the greater the social and economic benefits that will be generated. This is true for both commercial and non-commercial uses.27) We will:work to increase open data literacy and encourage people, such as developers of applications and civil society organisations that work in the field of open data promotion, to unlock the value of open data;empower a future generation of data innovators by providing data in machine-readable formats.
• #27: You can contribute to report the status of the PSI of your country