Public Data and Open Data
Open Data refers to the movement to open up and freely make available data produced by public and private actors. Born in the United Kingdom and the United States in the early 2000s, it rests on the idea that certain data, especially from government and local authorities, are a common good that should be accessible to everyone.
The principles that define data as genuinely open are described in the Open Definition, the full text (version 2.1) is available at Open Definition 2.1. Data or content is “open” if anyone may freely use, reuse or redistribute it, subject at most to measures that preserve provenance and openness.
Open data has two dimensions:
- Legally open: they are in the public domain or subject only to minimal, flexible conditions of use.
- Technically open: published in electronic formats that are machine-readable, preferably non-proprietary, and freely accessible on a public server without access restrictions.
Three requirements of the Open Definition
The Open Definition states what must be true for data or content to count as “open” in the established sense. The full text (version 2.1) is published at opendefinition.org. The three principles below are the core of that framework.
-
Availability and access
Data must be available as a whole at no more than a reasonable reproduction cost, preferably by download over the internet, in a convenient and modifiable form.
-
Reuse and redistribution
Terms must permit reuse and redistribution, including mixing with other datasets.
-
Universal participation
Everyone must be able to use, reuse and redistribute the data, with no discrimination by field or group. “Non-commercial” only, or use limited to certain purposes (e.g. education only), is not allowed.
Open licences
An open licence defines the rights granted to the public for a dataset: the possibility to reuse, share or cite it, together with any conditions that must be met.
Institutions usually publish two complementary documents: a plain-language summary so any user can quickly understand their rights, and a full legal text that is authoritative in case of dispute or professional use.
Three common choices for public-sector data: Creative Commons licences (CC BY, CC0) and the Open Database Licence (ODbL) from Open Data Commons.
- CC BY (Creative Commons Attribution): data may be freely used, modified and redistributed, provided the original source is credited.
- CC0 (Creative Commons Zero): the author waives rights to the fullest extent permitted by law, placing the data in the public domain to remove barriers to reuse.
- ODbL (Open Database Licence): designed specifically for databases, it allows use and modification, provided the source is credited and any derivative database is redistributed under the same licence.
Benefits of Open Data
The benefits of Open Data are wide-ranging: they affect government, the economy, society and individuals alike.
- Administrative efficiency: sharing data across actors and sectors helps improve public services, identify wasteful or duplicate spending, and respond faster with accessible, up-to-date information.
- Economic growth: easier access to information and knowledge fosters innovation, generates new services and business models, and boosts business competitiveness.
- Transparency and civic participation: civil society gains a clearer view of public action and more ways to take part, supporting collaboration and social innovation.
- Skills and employment: the growth of Open Data increases demand for people skilled in data analysis, visualisation and information governance.
- Quality of public decisions: when real-time data is used, it simplifies access to information and informs trade-offs, improving the relevance and speed of decisions.
For citizens, free access to public data improves everyday life whether saving time on procedures, staying better informed or using services that match their needs.