Op-ed: G8 charter puts open data on international agenda - FedScoop

"Last month’s international G8 summit produced a declaration with new guidelines for a broad range of policy issues. Included in this declaration was a set of recommendations for open data initiatives, known as the Open Data Charter. The charter represents the first time open data principles have been agreed to in an international forum—not to mention possibly the highest-level declaration of any kind to mention the open source code repository website GitHub—and will likely help shape the future role of government in data. Here are the key facts ... The charter then outlines five principles committed to by the G8 governments:  [1] Open data by default: The charter seeks to establish a norm that all government data will be published openly be default.

[2] Quality and quantity: Timely, comprehensive and accurate data is a top priority. This principle notes the importance of metadata to accompany data sets so users can understand the strengths and limitations. This principle also includes the importance of allowing and responding to user feedback to improve data quality. [3] Useable by all: Barriers to data access and use, including access fees, registration requirements, and proprietary standards should be removed. [4] Releasing data for improved governance: G8 governments will share their technical expertise with other nations and document their own open data initiatives. [5] Releasing data for innovation: The charter recognizes the benefits that come from the increased commercial and noncommercial use of data and commits G8 governments to promoting open data literacy. This principle also affirms the value of providing data in machine-readable formats.  Finally, the charter contains a technical appendix that includes some best practices to implement each of the five principles as well as a set of collective actions to implement the goals of the charter. The authors of the charter declare the appendix a 'living document' that will evolve in response to new experiences and technologies ..."