DataTerminology.comNEW
Government datasets made publicly accessible under open licenses to improve transparency, accountability, and innovation.
DESCRIPTION
Open Government Data (OGD) initiatives publish public sector datasets for reuse by citizens, businesses, and researchers. They typically include open formats, machine-readable access, and permissive licenses. OGD supports transparency and economic growth through new services, research, and civic engagement. Data portals like data.gov aggregate datasets with metadata and APIs. Privacy, ethical use, and quality governance remain essential considerations for sustainable OGD programs.
ALTERNATIVE DEFINITIONS
Wikipedia
Open government data (OGD) is a philosophy and set of practices to make government data freely available to everyone to use and republish as they wish, without restrictions from copyright, patents or other mechanisms of control.
Emphasizes openness, legal permissions, and reuse without restrictions.
Data.gov
Data.gov is the United States government’s open data website, intended to improve public access to high value, machine readable datasets generated by the Executive Branch of the Federal Government.
Describes the U.S. implementation vehicle and goals for access and machine readability.
Open Knowledge Foundation
Open data is data that can be freely used, re-used and redistributed by anyone - subject only, at most, to the requirement to attribute and sharealike.
Defines ‘open’ licensing criteria underpinning open government initiatives.
RELATED TERMS
Open Dataset Government Data Data Portal Transparency Freedom of Information Data Discovery Platform Licensing CKAN Public Sector Information Open License
COMPETING TERMS
Proprietary Data
RELATIONS
- Broader: Data
KNOWLEDGE AREAS
Data Management Data Governance Data Products Data Privacy & Compliance Domain & Business Context
TARGET AUDIENCE
Data Strategy Consultant Data Management Consultant Data Analyst BI Specialist Chief Data Officer Digital Transformation Manager Data Steward
EXTERNAL SOURCES
- Wikipedia - Open government data
- Data.gov - US government open data portal and APIs
- European Data Portal - EU portal for open government data
- CKAN - Open-source data portal platform used by OGD
TOP QUESTIONS
What is Open Government Data and why is it important?
It’s publicly accessible government data under open licenses. It promotes transparency, civic engagement, and economic innovation.
Category: Basics
How do organizations publish Open Government Data?
Through data portals with metadata, APIs, open formats, and clear licensing, often using platforms like CKAN.
Category: HowTo
What are common risks in Open Government Data?
Privacy breaches, re-identification of individuals, and misuse. Strong privacy reviews and aggregation help mitigate.
Category: Risks
How is Open Government Data governed?
Through data quality standards, publishing workflows, licensing policies, and stakeholder engagement processes.
Category: Management
What is a hot topic around Open Government Data?
Real-time open APIs and geospatial interoperability standards for smart cities and mobility data.
Category: Topic
What metrics show success of Open Government Data?
Dataset reuse rates, API calls, community contributions, and derived services or research outcomes.
Category: Measurement
What’s misunderstood about Open Government Data?
That ‘open’ means free of responsibility; in reality, licensing, attribution, and privacy controls still apply.
Category: Misunderstanding
Where can I find Open Government Data?
Start with data.gov, data.europa.eu, and local city or national portals.
Category: Resources
What alternatives exist to fully open publication?
Restricted-access data sharing, anonymized aggregates, or synthetic datasets for sensitive domains.
Category: Alternatives