FINDING DATA ON LINE• An increasing number of governments are all

levels are putting data on line• Those databases come in all shapes and sizes• The betting might be that journalists lack the

time and expertise to make sense of it• We must prove destroy that assumption

WHY WORK WITH DATA ONLINE

• Produces original stories that our competitors may not have

• More original stories, fewer encounters with assignment editors

• Data ads context• Allows audiences to interact• Gives us quick reference points when stories break• Allows us to do a better job following money

WHAT TOOLS DO YOU NEED

• General knowledge of data: its strengths and weaknesses

• Abandon your fear of numbers• Developing simple math skills: adding,

subtracting, ratios, etc.• Good knowledge of Excel; database managers;

Mapping software; data-visualization tools

SOME EXAMPLES OF OPEN DATA SITES

• Edmontonhttp://data.edmonton.ca/

• Halifax’s Open Data Cataloguehttps://www.halifaxopendata.ca/

• Ottawahttp://app06.ottawa.ca/en/city_hall/statisticsdata/opendata/info/index.htm

• Torontohttp://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=1a66e03bb8d1e310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

• Vancouverhttp://data.vancouver.ca/

• BChttp://www.openinfo.gov.bc.ca/ibc/index.page?http://www.data.gov.bc.ca/

• Ontariohttp://www.ontario.ca/government/open-data-ontario

• Open Data Pilot Project (federal government)http://www.data.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En

• World Development Indicators (The World Bank)http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/world-development-indicators?cid=GPD_WDI

• Québec Ouvert (les données ouvertes pour le Québec)http://quebecouvert.org/

Toronto restaurant inspections

DINESAFE

DineSafe

DINESAFE DATA

MAPPING NASTY RESTAURANTS

DINESAFE APP

Elections

• Elections Canadahttp://www.elections.ca/scripts/webpep/fin/select_sear

• Elections Ontariohttp://www.elections.on.ca/en-CA/Tools/FinancialStatementsandContributions/RealTimeDisclosure.htmch_option.aspx

• Quebec political contributionshttp://www.electionsquebec.qc.ca/francais/provincial/financement-et-depenses-electorales/recherche-sur-les-donateurs.php#

ONTARIO

The data website

The data

QUEBEC

The website

The data

The data_part two

National data sets• Open Data Pilot Project (federal government)

http://www.data.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En• Arms Exports

http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrkti/tdst/tdo/tdo.php#tag• Canadian charities (Canada Revenue Agency)

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/chrts-gvng/lstngs/menu-eng.html• Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS): Main

Menu• http://

wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/CADORS-SCREAQ/m.aspx?lang=eng

• Sunlight Foundation Tools and Projects http://sunlightfoundation.com/tools/

Tracking lobbying dollars in the U.S.

INFLUENCE EXPLORER

OPEN SECRETS

International datasets• Datacatalogs.org (a comprehensive list of open data catalogs currated by

experts from around the world)http://datacatalogs.org/

• National Transportation Safety Board inventory of databaseshttp://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/databases.htmlhttp://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/

• The FDA's Adverse Drug Reaction Databasehttp://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Surveillance/AdverseDrugEffects/ucm082193.htm

• MAUDE - Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience• http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfmaude/search.cfm• U.S. Department of LABOUR (Occupational Safety & Health Administration)

http://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/establishment.html• http://ogesdw.dol.gov/data_catalogs• http://ogesdw.dol.gov/data_summary.php

THE STORY

Federal government studying $30 billion counterfeit market Public Safety Canada is attempting to gauge the size of Canada's black market, with recent estimates valuing counterfeit trade at $30 billion.

Save to Mystar

By: Alex Boutilier Staff Reporter, Published on Fri Nov 01 2013

EXPLORE THIS STORY

2 COMMENTS

OTTAWA—The federal government is attempting to more accurately gauge the size of Canada’s black market for pirated and counterfeit goods, which recent estimates value at more than $30 billion a year.

Public Safety Canada is commissioning a study to assess current methods used to estimate the amount of counterfeit and pirated goods in Canada.

In a document posted Friday, the department explained the end goal of the exercise is to recommend new methods to collect data and track illicit trade.

“There were several past attempts to estimate the size of the market for counterfeit and pirated goods. No single method has been applied across all industries to calculate reliable estimates,” the department noted.

“The illicit nature of the counterfeit and piracy trade makes it extremely difficult to obtain reliable estimates of the size of trade.”

WHERE IT CAME FROM

• Buyandsell.gc.ca• https://buyandsell.gc.ca/procurement-data/te

nders/download-tenders-data

The Excel table

THE COUNTERFEIT REFERENCE

http://www.ontario.ca/government/open-data-ontario

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

STUDENT DEBT