Open data

What is open data?

Open data is data and content that anyone can access, use and share (republish). Governments, businesses, and individuals can use open data to bring about social, economic, and environmental benefits, without limitations of copyright, patents or other mechanism of control. It is a really important concept in the context of Internet and World Wide Web. More information

Uses:

  • Re-use/Redistribution: data is provided under terms that permit-resuse and redistribution including the intermixing with other datasets.

  • Availability & Access: Data must be available as a whole and also at no more than a reasonable reproduction cost. Also, the data must be available in a modifiable and convenient form.

  • Universal Participation: Everyone should be able to use, re-use, and redistribute. This means there should be no discrimination against people or groups.

Characteristics:

Re-use/Redistribution: data is provided under terms that permit-resuse and redistribution including the intermixing with other datasets. Availability & Access: Data must be available as a whole and also at no more than a reasonable reproduction cost. Also, the data must be available in a modifiable and convenient form. Universal Participation: Everyone should be able to use, re-use, and redistribute. This means there should be no discrimination against people or groups.

What kinds of open data? There are many kinds of open data that have potential uses and applications:

Culture: Data about cultural works and artefacts — for example titles and authors — and generally collected and held by galleries, libraries, archives and museums. Science: Data that is produced as part of scientific research from astronomy to zoology. Finance: Data such as government accounts (expenditure and revenue) and information on financial markets (stocks, shares, bonds etc). Statistics: Data produced by statistical offices such as the census and key socioeconomic indicators. Weather: The many types of information used to understand and predict the weather and climate. Environment: Information related to the natural environment such presence and level of pollutants, the quality and rivers and seas.

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