Mirko Tobias Schäfer / Assistant Professor
University of Utrecht Department for Media and Culture Studies
Mirko Tobias Schäfer / Assistant Professor
University of Utrecht Department for Media and Culture Studies
The project proposed by Mirko Tobias Schäfer (UU, media and culture studies), Karin van Es (UvA, media studies) and Remko Helms (UU, computer science) develops a database for comparative analysis of open data projects.
Governments are actively pushing the use of open data; they increasingly release their data for open access and actively stimulate re-use for apps and services. However, information concerning the success of open data projects is difficult to obtain. Most accounts of the impact of open data are exemplary and anecdotal. The project GOOD DATA tackles this problem by building an inventory of European open data projects. The data base is then useable for comparative evaluation and provides insight in the relation between data released, services developed, information concerning intended use and actual use, implementation in information processes and impact on citizen participation. Additional information sources that GOOD DATA employs provide a broader picture in order to help practitioners to develop better apps and services and to support policy makers and administrators in making decisions.
The researchers cooperate with the consulting firm The Green Land which specializes in government open data projects.
The NWO programme Data Science: Knowledge – Innovation Mapping for SMEs is meant to create collaborations between knowledge institutes and private parties. With the KIEM-grant, consortia can establish a long term collaboration in order to profit from each other’s scientific and professional knowledge.
Utrecht Data School is a research platform using digital humanities methods in order to investigate relations between the Internet and society. The Utrecht Data School is also a teaching platform; in cooperation with external partners (companies, public administrations and NGOs) students analyze and visualize data sets.
www.dataschool.nl
The experts at The Green Land apply their experience in the areas of law, IT, business administration and research to support governments, public administrations and organizations in applying open data policies and in developing open data projects.
www.thegreenland.eu
Date September 2014 Category News
The Utrecht Data School has been awarded a KIEM grant from the NWO's exact science program. The grant funds a research project which develops a database for open data projects and possibilities for comparative evaluation of the projects and their social impact.