Open Data

Open data is data that can be freely used, re-used and redistributed by anyone - subject only, at most, to the requirement to attribute and sharealike. (Open Knowledge Foundation, 2022)

The full Open Definition gives precise details as to what this means. To summarize the most important:

• Availability and Access: the data must be available as a whole and at no more than a reasonable reproduction cost, preferably by downloading over the internet. The data must also be available in a convenient and modifiable form.
• Re-use and Redistribution: the data must be provided under terms that permit re-use and redistribution including the intermixing with other datasets.
• Universal Participation: everyone must be able to use, re-use and redistribute - there should be no discrimination against fields of endeavour or against persons or groups. For example, 'non-commercial' restrictions that would prevent 'commercial' use, or restrictions of use for certain purposes (e.g. only in education), are not allowed.

If you're wondering why it is so important to be clear about what open means and why this definition is used, there's a simple answer: interoperability.

Interoperability denotes the ability of diverse systems and organizations to work together (inter-operate). In this case, it is the ability to interoperate - or intermix - different datasets.

(Open Knowledge Foundation, 2022)

See also:

Eugenia Loría-Solano, Juliana Elisa Raffaghelli. (2021). Competency model for open data literacy in professional learning within the context of Open Government Data (OGD). Proceedings of the Doctoral Consortium of Sixteenth European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning. [Summary] http://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3076/ECTEL2021_DC_paper13.pdf

Antti Poikola, et.al.. (2022). The Open Data Handbook. Open Knowledge Foundation. [Summary] https://opendatahandbook.org/guide/en/