AN INTRODUCTION TO OPEN DATASally Jenkinson, Web in the Woods, 12.09.2015

@sjenkinson | sally@recordssoundthesame.com

Digital consultant & solutions architect Records Sound the Same Ltd

Sally Jenkinson

sally@recordssoundthesame.com | @sjenkinson

@sjenkinson

WHAT IS DATA?

data (ˈdeɪtə ; ˈdɑːtə)

Plural noun

• a series of observations, measurements, or facts; information

• Also called: information (computing) the information operated on by a computer program

Although now often used as a singular noun, data is properly a plural. From Latin, literally: (things) given, from dare to give

http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/data

data

data

content content

WHAT IS OPEN DATA?

!

The Open Definition !The Open Definition sets out principles that define “openness” in relation to data and content. !It makes precise the meaning of “open” in the terms “open data” and “open content” and thereby ensures quality and encourages compatibility between different pools of open material. !It can be summed up in the statement that:

!“Open means anyone can freely access, use, modify, and share for any purpose (subject, at most, to requirements that preserve provenance and openness).” !Put most succinctly: !“Open data and content can be freely used, modified, and shared by anyone for any purpose”

opendefinition.org

You must be able to easily acquire and use the data for any purpose

@sjenkinson

You must be able to re-use and re-distribute the data, including being able to mix it with other data sets

@sjenkinson

There should be no discrimination involved - for example data shouldn’t be limited to ‘non-commercial’, or only for education

@sjenkinson

Data should be in a format that can be processed and manipulated by a computer

@sjenkinson

DATA SHARING

MY DATA

sallyjenkinson.co.uk/labs/teatracker

A TALE OF OPEN DATA

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR OUR PROJECTS?

Consumption & publication

@sjenkinson

THE BENEFITS OF OPEN DATA

This benefits me! This benefits everyone!

?

Generating value & making savings

@sjenkinson

+$3 trillion / year

mckinsey.com/insights/business_technology/open_data_unlocking_innovation_and_performance_with_liquid_information

open data

G20 GDP up 1.1% over five years

goo.gl/Jfxvnn

open data

£15 - 58 million in time per year

goo.gl/sz7wus

open data

£200 million / year in NHS savings

goo.gl/aHUo9E

open data

Transparency

@sjenkinson

Participation & self-empowerment

@sjenkinson

Improved or new private products or services & innovation

@sjenkinson

Improved efficiency Improved effectiveness Impact measurement

@sjenkinson

New knowledge from combined data sources and patterns in large data

volumes

@sjenkinson

LINKED DATAlinkeddata.org

WE ARE HUMANS

“a formal specification of a shared conceptualisation”

@sjenkinson

“Start to explain the data in understandable terms, and to illustrate

some of the relationships in ways normal people can understand”

@sjenkinson

bbc.co.uk/ontologies

bbc.co.uk/things

DATA & USER EXPERIENCES

!

“How far do you live from your workplace? Chances are, you'd answer that question in minutes rather than miles. An hour on the bus tells us a lot more than 47 miles. That's why we made Mapumental. !

Given any start point or destination, it'll show everywhere within the chosen commute time, by public transport. !

Mapumental Property narrows property results down, only showing you houses that fall within a decent commute time from the places you visit regularly - like work, school, or the shops.”

mapumental.com/services/travel-time

“How accessible is your nearest school, post office, or GP’s surgery? In Wales, that’s not always a simple question: the country’s mountainous

landscapes, rural populations, and sometimes infrequent bus services can mean that those

without cars are rather cut off from public service provision.”

mapumental.com/services/accessibility

“Just how quickly could fire engines reach a given postcode in case of a fire? It’s a question that’s

pivotal to decisions made by both the emergency services and the insurance industry.”

mysociety.org/2013/04/22/fire-fire-mapumental-and-fire-engine-journey-times

mysociety.org/2013/04/22/fire-fire-mapumental-and-fire-engine-journey-times

CHALLENGES & LIMITATIONS

LEGALPRACTICALTECHNICALSOCIAL

Accuracy

Cost

Data privacy & the individual

Discoverability

♥github.com/caesar0301/awesome-public-datasets

Combining data sets & licences

clipol.org/tools/compatibility

Misinterpretation & misrepresentation

GREAT! I’M SOLD! NOW WHAT?

1. Clear licensing & usage information 2. A plan for support 3. Structure & quality

@sjenkinson

FIVE STAR DATA5stardata.info

★ Make your stuff available on the Web (whatever format) under an open license.

★★ Make it available as structured data (e.g., Excel instead of image scan of a table).

★★★ Use non-proprietary formats (e.g., CSV instead of Excel).

★★★★ Use URIs to denote things, so that people can point at your stuff.

★★★★★ Link your data to other data to provide context.

OPEN DATA CERTIFICATEScertificates.theodi.org

INTRODUCING OPEN DATA TO YOUR PROJECTS

Consuming open data

@sjenkinson

@sjenkinson

d3js.org

Publishing open data

@sjenkinson

1. Identification & planning

2. Extracting & cleaning

openrefine.org | clean-sheet.org

3. Sharing

NOT JUST DIGITAL!

opensensors.io

DOUG MCCUNEdougmccune.com

STEFANIE POSAVECstefanieposavec.co.uk

“Air Transformed is a series of wearable data objects that communicate this physical burden in different ways. Though seemingly decorative, they

are based entirely on open air quality data from Sheffield, UK, a former steelmaking city and

notorious for its bad air.”

stefanieposavec.co.uk/data/#/airtransformed

AND IN THE END…

@sjenkinson !sally@recordssoundthesame.com recordssoundthesame.com

THANK YOU. Thank you to these lovely people for making their content open under a Creative Commons or public licence:

Linking Open Data cloud diagram 2014, by Max Schmachtenberg, Christian Bizer, Anja Jentzsch and Richard Cyganiak - lod-cloud.net

DougMcCune - dougmccune.com

stefanieposavec.co.uk

flickr.com/photos/rachubarama/2709346242

tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations

xkcd.com/1138

flickr.com/photos/troymars/9113025616

flickr.com/photos/mompl/5289524029

flickr.com/photos/stray_croc/4743302841

flickr.com/photos/epleitez/1714341218

flickr.com/photos/mikephotoart/12839909303

flickr.com/photos/kalexanderson/7175627336

flickr.com/photos/gertcha/8292978031

https://www.flickr.com/photos/86979666@N00/8692704103/