Keeping an Open Mind OPEN DATA SUZANNE VAN

Keeping an Open Mind OPEN DATA SUZANNE VAN DEN HOOGEN, MLIS STFX UNIVERSITY DLI WORKSHOP FREDERICTON, NB APRIL 28, 2015

Outline • What is Open Data? • What are the benefits of Open Data? • What can we do with Open Data? • What are some challenges with Open Data? • How can we support Open Data? • Group Activity: SWOT Analysis • • Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

What is Open Data Availability & Access Version 2. 0 Open Data is defined as structured data that is: • machine-readable, • freely shared, • used and built on without restrictions Government of Canada. (April 19, 2015). Open data 101. Retrieved from: http: //open. canada. ca/en/open-data-principles Open Data Universal Participation Re-usability & Redistribution

Open Definition. (n. d. ). Open definition version 2. 0. Retrieved from: http: //opendefinition. org/od/

What are the benefits of Open Data • Innovation & Engagement • Government Accountability & Transparency • Open & Unrestricted Access to Government Data • Research Support • Proactive Disclosure Government of Canada. (April 19, 2015). Open data 101. Retrieved from: http: //open. canada. ca/en/open-data-principles

What can we do with Open Data The Canadian Open Data Experience (CODE) is the first nationwide Open Data Hackathon in Canada. An intense 48 -hour coding sprint where innovators from coast to coast compete to build the best app utilizing federal government data from the Canadian Open Data Portal. Code 2014 Winners

What are some challenges with Open Data • Interpretation • Standards • Re-use of data. • Restrictions? • Privacy? • Storage • • Governments? Libraries? Institutional Repositories? Researchers? • Data Awareness & Data Loss • Access • Digital Divide

In the News…

Canada “When you open up the data, there's no limit to what people can do, " said Mayor David Miller this week. "It engages the imagination of citizens in building the city. “ David Miller, Mayor of Toronto January 30, 2009 Tossell, I. (January 30, 2009). Open-source politics breathe fresh air into the Big Smoke. Globe and Mail. Retrieved from: http: //www. theglobeandmail. com/technology/open-source-politics-breathe-fresh-air-into-the-big- smoke/article 1147947/ Image source: http: //www 1. toronto. ca/wps/portal/contentonly? vgnextoid=1 a 764 df 130113410 Vgn. VCM 10000071 d 60 f 89 RCRD

United States “The way to make government responsible is to hold it accountable. And the way to make it accountable is [to] make it transparent so the American people can know exactly what decisions are being made, how they’re being made, and whether their interests are being well served. ” Barack Obama, President of the United States January 21, 2009 Obama, B. (January 21, 2009). Remarks by the President in welcoming senior staff and cabinet secretaries to the White House. Retrieved from: https: //www. whitehouse. gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-welcoming-senior-staff-and-cabinet-secretaries-white-house

International "I have an important announcement to make— starting January 1, 2015 we will provide all our online data free-of-charge to everyone. ” Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund November 18, 2014 Lagarde, C. (November 18, 2014). The second IMF statistical forum—Statistics for policymaking: Welcoming remarks. Retrieved from: http: //www. imf. org/external/np/speeches/2014/111814. htm Image Source: http: //www. imf. org/external/np/speeches/2014/111814. htm

How can we support Open Data • National Infrastructure • Institutional Repositories • Research Support • Workshops • Awareness campaigns

Group Activity SWOT ANAL YSIS

Open Data: SWOT Analysis Strengths Opportunities Weaknesses Threats

Open Data: SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths o Freely Available o Research Support Available o Democratizes Data o Usage in Policy Making o Makes Government more Accountable o Increases Data Literacy o Encourages Creativity & Innovation o Reduces Redundancy o Entrepreneurship o Makes Data more useful: Added Value o Can help Businesses o Open Data is “COOL”

Open Data: SWOT ANALYSIS Weaknesses o Lack of Metadata o Authoritative? o Lack of Standards o Privacy Issues o Biases o Manipulation of Data: Data Integrity o Knowing how to use Machine Readable Data o Is the data aggregated? Good for basic analysis only o Data preservation & Currency

Open Data: SWOT ANALYSIS Opportunities o Reconceptualizing information in a new way o Creating New Apps, software, tools o Security of the data: Reliability o Provides transparency and accountability of providers, i. e. , institutions, government. o Open Community - Opportunity to Collaborate o Accessibility: Removing barriers

Open Data: SWOT ANALYSIS Threats o Privacy/Security o Preservation (Lack of) o Accessibility o Nefarious Purposes: Misrepresentation, bias, etc. o Storage (Cost, infrastructure) o Responsibility, Liability o Quality: Questionable, Useful, Standardization

Open Data Resources Open Canada – Open Data: http: //open. canada. ca/en/open-data • Open Data 101: http: //open. canada. ca/en/open-data-principles Open Data handbook: http: //opendatahandbook. org/pdf/Open. Data. Handbook. pdf Open Data Institute: http: //opendatainstitute. org/ Open Data Portal: http: //open. canada. ca/data/en/dataset Open Data Registry: http: //opendataregistry. com/ Open Data Subject Guide: http: //stfx. libguides. com/opendata Open Definition: http: //opendefinition. org/od/