In a world where many of our digital spaces are becoming more closed than ever, open data is a concept that is rapidly on the rise. In this talk we explore what open data is (and what it isn't), and why we should care about it. We'll look at how you can introduce it into your projects with regards to practical publication and consumption, and discuss some useful tools and reference points. Open data isn't just dry and technical - it gives us great scope to be creative, and throughout this talk we'll go through some of the amazing things that it has been used for globally in the hope that it will inspire you to create something amazing yourself.

1. AN INTRODUCTION TO OPEN DATA
Sally Jenkinson, Web in the Woods, 12.09.2015
@sjenkinson | sally@recordssoundthesame.com

2. Digital consultant & solutions architect
Records Sound the Same Ltd
Sally Jenkinson
sally@recordssoundthesame.com | @sjenkinson

3. @sjenkinson
WHAT IS DATA?

4. 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

5. data
data
content content

6. WHAT IS OPEN DATA?

7. !
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

8. You must be able to easily acquire and use the data
for any purpose
@sjenkinson

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

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

11. Data should be in a format that can be processed
and manipulated by a computer
@sjenkinson

12. DATA SHARING

14. MY DATA

17. sallyjenkinson.co.uk/labs/teatracker

20. A TALE OF OPEN DATA

22. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR OUR PROJECTS?

23. Consumption & publication
@sjenkinson

30. THE BENEFITS OF OPEN DATA

31. This benefits me! This benefits everyone!
?

32. Generating value & making savings
@sjenkinson

33. +$3 trillion / year
mckinsey.com/insights/business_technology/open_data_unlocking_innovation_and_performance_with_liquid_information
open data

34. G20 GDP up 1.1% over five years
goo.gl/Jfxvnn
open data

35. £15 - 58 million in time per year
goo.gl/sz7wus
open data

36. £200 million / year in NHS savings
goo.gl/aHUo9E
open data

37. Transparency
@sjenkinson

38. Participation & self-empowerment
@sjenkinson

39. Improved or new private products or
services & innovation
@sjenkinson

40. Improved efficiency
Improved effectiveness
Impact measurement
@sjenkinson

41. New knowledge from combined data
sources and patterns in large data
volumes
@sjenkinson

42. LINKED DATA
linkeddata.org

45. WE ARE HUMANS

46. “a formal specification of a shared
conceptualisation”
@sjenkinson

47. “Start to explain the data in
understandable terms, and to illustrate
some of the relationships in ways
normal people can understand”
@sjenkinson

48. bbc.co.uk/ontologies

49. bbc.co.uk/things

50. DATA & USER EXPERIENCES

51. !
“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

52. “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

53. “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

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

55. CHALLENGES & LIMITATIONS

56. LEGAL
PRACTICAL
TECHNICAL
SOCIAL

57. Accuracy

58. Cost

59. Data privacy &
the individual

60. Discoverability

61. ♥
github.com/caesar0301/awesome-public-datasets

62. Combining data sets & licences
clipol.org/tools/compatibility

63. Misinterpretation & misrepresentation

66. GREAT! I’M SOLD! NOW WHAT?

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

68. FIVE STAR DATA
5stardata.info

69. ★
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.

70. OPEN DATA CERTIFICATES
certificates.theodi.org

71. INTRODUCING OPEN DATA TO YOUR PROJECTS

72. Consuming open data
@sjenkinson

73. @sjenkinson

74. d3js.org

75. Publishing open data
@sjenkinson

76. 1. Identification & planning

77. 2. Extracting & cleaning
openrefine.org | clean-sheet.org

78. 3. Sharing

79. NOT JUST DIGITAL!

80. opensensors.io

81. DOUG MCCUNE
dougmccune.com

86. STEFANIE POSAVEC
stefanieposavec.co.uk

87. “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

91. AND IN THE END…

92. @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/