Study Session 2: The Challenges of Open Data

In this study session you will read some papers and documents on the challenges and problems with the concept and practice of Open Data.

• Read the paper "The Roles of Agency and Artefacts" paper. This is not so easy, or well written, buy reflects in detail on the value of 'open data' hack projects.
• Look at  Tim Davis's blog, 'Open Data Impacts'
• The Social Imapct of Open Data, A new report from the Sunlight Foundation, in the field of development, on the impact of transparency and open data, including a list of links to over 100 Open Data projects
• Look at Ewan Klein's presentation on Open Data in Glasgow and Scotland  (video available shortly)

Reflect on :

• "Release it and they will build" - who is likely to reuse 'open data'?
• Data or problem - should organisations be cleaning, formatting and releasing data because it is a 'good thing', or focusing efforts on releasing data that will help address particular challenges? 
• What skills are needed to develop and use Open Data?
• Is Open Data a feasible vision for Local Government?

Other resources

Administrative Data Liaison Service , A UK service giving access to a administrative data sets, and supporting data owners to make their data available for research. They also run P-ADLS is an online archive of methods, models and codes developed by researchers to aid administrative data research.

Scottish NHS Administrative Data Sets