Welcome to the Open Data Process Framework (ODPF)!

This wiki contains a working draft of the Open Data Process Framework. This framework aims to streamline the process of publishing, governing and consuming Open Data by presenting a structured approach which collects and organises best practice and guidance. The framework is designed to be tailored and customised to meet the needs of organisations and individuals. Visit the Overview page to read more.

What’s this about, then?

There are many benefits to Open Data publication, but it can sometimes feel daunting to organisations or individuals new to the domain. This is, in part, due to the wide-range of different concerns that must be considered and addressed when making data free for anyone to use.

Image of the Open Data Elephant

Concerns include

  • Ownership and Provenance
  • Quality
  • Sensitivity and anonymisation
  • Computational complexity
  • ‘Linkedness’
  • Organisational willingness and capability
  • Interpretation / meaningfulness
  • Legal

The Open Data Elephant visually represents these concerns, by analogy to the story of the blind men and an elephant. This story suggests that immediate experience or worldview may give only a partial view of the overall problem. A key aim of the Open Data Process Framework is to identify all these key concerns and place them in the broader context so that the publishing effort can be successful and sustainable.

When eating an elephant, take one bite at a time Creighton Abrams

Another elephant-related issue is the means by which one eats it. Extending the analogy past breaking point, when publishing open data, we must start somewhere. Another aim of the Open Data Process Framework is to guide publishing teams in an appropriate order of tasks. What are the important things to resolve early on in the life of a project and which elements can be left until later.