Open Government Data Principles

Government data shall be considered open if they are made public in a way that complies with the principles below:

1. Complete All public data are made available. Public data are data that are not subject to valid privacy, security or privilege limitations.
2. Primary Data are collected at the source, with the finest possible level of granularity, not in aggregate or modified forms.
3. Timely Data are made available as quickly as necessary to preserve the value of the data.
4. Accessible Data are available to the widest range of users for the widest range of purposes.
5. Machine processable Data are reasonably structured to allow automated processing.
6. Non-discriminatory Data are available to anyone, with no requirement of registration.
7. Non-proprietary Data are available in a format over which no entity has exclusive control.
8. License-free Data are not subject to any copyright, patent, trademark or trade secret regulation. Reasonable privacy, security and privilege restrictions may be allowed.

Compliance must be reviewable.

Definitions

1. "public" means:

bq The Open Government Data principles do not address what data should be public and open. Privacy, security, and other concerns may legally (and rightly) prevent data sets from being shared with the public. Rather, these principles specify the conditions public data should meet to be considered "open."

2. "data" means:

Electronically stored information or recordings. Examples include documents, databases of contracts, transcripts of hearings, and audio/visual recordings of events.

While non-electronic information resources, such as physical artifacts, are not subject to the Open Government Data principles, it is always encouraged that such resources be made available electronically to the extent feasible.

3. "reviewable" means:

A contact person must be designated to respond to people trying to use the data.

A contact person must be designated to respond to complaints about violations of the principles.

An administrative or judicial court must have the jurisdiction to review whether the agency has applied these principles appropriately.

References

• 8 Principles of Open Government Data
• OpenGovData Wiki

Etc.

• Buckeye Institute's Ohio Sunshine "is dedicated to transparency and accountability in Ohio government. The site is a wiki, a publicly open online source of information that can be edited by everyone."

Sep 2008

He's giving you access, one document at a time