Thursday, August 1, 2013
Market Assessment of Public Sector Information
A report by Deloitte for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills UK, May 2013.
Upon the release of road construction project data by the Department of Transport in Edmonton, Canada, a local application developer decided to create a mobile app for smart phones and similar devices to access the map interface.
The Deloitte Report cited a report by the Centre for Technology in Government, at the University of Albany (State University of New York (SUNY) called The Dynamics of Opening Government Data: A White Paper.
The story of opening street construction projects data began several years prior to its official launch in April 2012. In 2009, the City of Edmonton, a recognized leader in open data initiatives, made a commitment to using “technology to make municipal information more open, transparent and accessible” through the launch of an Open Data Catalogue. The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) staff were responsible for working with the City’s major agencies— as the business owners of most of the City’s information assets—to identify data that were good candidates for inclusion in the Catalogue.
10 insights for humanities researchers from #ACHRC 2013
This is a re-post from http://www.historypunk.com/
10 insights for humanities researchers from #ACHRC 2013
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| #ACHRC 2013: 2 days, 1 keynote, 6 panels. |
Humanists came from range of disciplines and institutions: university research centres, collecting institutions, advocacy groups, media, university administration and funding bodies. The diversity of attendees resulted in a range of perspectives and energetic debate.
All were united by a belief that, in a world facing pressing global challenges, we need the humanities now more than ever. In this context, it seemed appropriate that the keynote was delivered by Alan Liu, a digital humanities innovator and passionate advocate of the humanities.
Here are ten themes that emerged over an inspiring few days:
1. We need to learn how to tell compelling stories about the humanities.
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| 4Humanities.org |
- Infographic Friday - visualisations that express the impact of the humanities using statistics
- Humanities Backpack - mini documentaries that bring the research process to life
- Humanities Showcase - online portal that allows public audiences to browse a gallery of research case studies
For Liu, public engagement starts with an articulation of fundamental principles which should be long-term, structural and local/global. What do the humanities stand for? Frustrated by the strategic plan outlined by your research institution? Liu and his colleagues at the University of California were. So they sat down and outlined their own vision.
To communicate values you need to know what they are. Several key outcomes of the 4Humanities project have been value finding exercises such as What everyone says about the humanities and Humanities plain and simple, which challenges contributors to outline why the humanities matter in plain language. Techniques include focus groups, crowd sourcing, and text mining values statements. For a best practice example, Liu pointed to a recently released report and video published by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, “The Heart of the Matter: Commission of the Humanities and Social Sciences.”
2. And communicate these stories to our audiences more effectively.
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| Deakin University: Research My World |
Alan Liu outlined a framework for public engagementthat involved (1) articulating a core message, (2) designing a communications plan (involving the selection of spokespersons - not necessarily the researcher, media channels, and specific media forms and genres) and (3) communicating this message to a specific target audience (such as fellow academics, practitioners or local communities). Researchers should seek to emulate organisations skilled in communicating for social change, such as the Occupy Movement,MoveOn.org and Amnesty International. He suggested researchers may like to read Jennifer Earl and Katrina Kimport’s recent book, Digitally Enabled Social Change, Activism in the Internet Age.
Deb Verhoeven felt it was important that researchers feed data and results back to communities. She described a recent project that engaged communities in the research process from the outset using crowd funding. Not only did the Deakin University Pozzible Campaign, Research My World, raise over $20,000 in research funding, it helped build the online profiles of the early career researchers who participated.
Jane Davidson, from the ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions argued that research impact should include creative outcomes as well as traditional research outputs and outlined recent collaborations with ABC radio, schools and the arts.
Andrew Jaspan, Editor of The Conversation, outlined his vision to provide a new business model for news media. The Conversation has 1.3 million unique views per month, with 80% of the audience outside of academia. An Australian success story, over 60% of academic contributors are followed up by other mass media outlets and the recent UK launch will be followed by launches in USA and India. Subsequently, Linguist Alan Dench reminded researchers that, while the written word has primacy in academia, spoken language remains a primary form of communication and is innate to human beings. He urged attendees to speak on the radio and encourage students to practice communicating their research verbally by participating in Three Minute Thesis competitions.
3. But often, we don’t really understand who our audience is.
Dev Verhoeven reminded researchers that we are not communicating to a homogenous group of people called “the public”. Powerful storytelling necessitates a genuine understanding of our audience/s and these insights are the bedrock of any communication. Not only will this information assist researchers in crafting an impactful message, this kind of focus can assist in making decisions as to the most effective communication channels - vital when time and money are in short supply. Know your audience and design communications to resonate with specific concerns. Then choose the most appropriate communication channel to reach each group. Provide different touch points that allow people to become involved at various levels. For example, some may watch a video or share information on social media, others might like to make a donation or even examine research data for themselves.
4. It's not enough to start a discussion, we need to change the conversation.
We need to advocate the humanities on our own terms. Christina Parolin, of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, argued that the term "benefit" captures the intention of research assessment better than "impact". Indeed, Alan Liu prefers the term “discovery” rather than words such as “invention”, and “innovation” as he believes it most aptly expresses the range of human meanings and possibilities associated with technological breakthroughs.
Liu suggested that researchers explore George Lakoff’s strategic frame analysis, a science based communications methodology that draws from linguistics, psychology, anthropology, political science and communications theory. If you're interested in Lakoff's work you can explore his eWorkshop Changing the public conversation on social problems: a beginners guide to strategic frame analysis or read his article Framing 101: How to Take Back Public Discourse.
5. Continue to question the logic of measurement indicators.
Carmen Lawrence agreed that accountability for publicly funded research projects was important but compelled the audience to keep asking the hard questions. Why are you asking us to measure this? What is the likely benefit to the academy/society? How many dollars does it take to get one dollar on the desk of a researcher? Christina Parolin agreed that data collection was an issue, citing the administrative burden and cost of preparing case studies, the risk of over engineering the effort to measure impact, and the focus on demonstrating and communicating rather than making the research more beneficial.
Lawrence noted the private sector origins of the current obsession with measurement, citing the mantra "If you can't measure it, you can't manage it". She compared dogmatic approaches to measurement with religious devotion stating "The fact that something is hard to measure does not mean that it is not real or important". Indeed she argued that the more any social indicator is used for social decision making, the more it will corrupt the very policies it aims to manage, quoting Goodheart’s Law which states "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure".
6. Form richer, mutually beneficial collaborations.
We’re stronger together. Humanists may have different goals but we tend to share a similar vision. Richard Neville, outlined how the State Library of NSW wants to "be a place where conversations happen, either on site or online", an objective which echoed several previous discussions. Yet collaboration between different research centres, disciplines and collecting institutions poses challenges. Neville recognised opportunities to share staff, knowledge and experience based on mutual understanding and frank discussions about expectations, constraints and opportunities. Alec Coles, CEO of the Western Australian Museum, reiterated some of these concerns but was optimistic about ways in which partnerships could add immense value.
7. Think global.
Is the global turn in higher education merely economic opportunism or a genuine desire to train and educate graduates to become global citizens? Masashi Haneda, Vice President (International) of the University of Tokyo, argued that global issues such as climate change, food and water crisis, aging societies, bioethics, security and migrations, necessitated the development of a new global citizen and that the humanities should play a leading role. Krishna Sen, Dean of the UWA Faculty of Arts, was more cautious about the idea of “Global Humanities” arguing the centrality of difference and relativism to the humanities. Yet, the discourse surrounding the Asian century highlights the importance of alternative modes of understanding. According to Krishna, "We are the miners of ideas and we are the real miners of the Asian century".
8. Embrace new technologies.
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| Marvin eBook reader - iPad app |
According to Lui, Research Centres should act as “Think Tanks” for the Humanities.
- Taking a long term, strategic approach and contributing to public policy
- Becoming hubs for digital humanities by investing in state-of-the-art infrastructure (such as video conferencing), hosting workshops and conferences and offering support with communications and public outreach, websites and databases, and legal/IP issues.
- Lobbying for institutional acknowledgment for blog posts and public outreach activity, referencing the recently published (and must-read) Young Researchers in Digital Humanities: A Manifesto. Carmen Lawrence also recognised that the immense pressure to publish and lack of reward for outreach activity discourages community engagement, stating "We are giving young researchers the wrong message".
- Supporting early career researchers by recognising that there are not enough academic jobs for graduates and helping to develop alt-ac career paths. Kate Darian-Smith, of the University of Melbourne, also shared examples of how her team are trying to develop new career opportunities and forms of PhD supervision.
9. But be realistic about potential pitfalls and challenges.
Who is going to pay for it all? Several speakers recognised the logics of current funding systems provided considerable barriers to making such grand visions a reality. An ACHRC survey of 180 Australian Research Centres led by Tully Barnett revealed that many operate with minimal administrative support - yet this is vital for tracking research impact, planning events and public outreach activity. Training and developing new skills is essential for researchers but this has limits. It it is inefficient to stretch competencies too wide. Research Centres should empower humanists to do what they do best and free their time for research as much as possible.
Toby Burrows, Director of eResearch at UWA, urged attendees to be aware of “The Nasties” when planning websites and databases. Blogs, social media and open source platforms are not “free”. They involve a long term commitment of time and effort, as well as hard costs involved with backing up data, servers and web hosting. Should you seek open source, commercial or bespoke IT solutions? Burrows outlined pros and cons of working within IT systems or going it alone.
10. And stop complaining.
Robert Phiddian, Director of ACHRC, didn’t mince words in his closing remarks, stating “It’s our own bloody fault” for taking the brace position rather than getting on the front foot. The meeting ended on an optimistic note, with a challenge to experiment, innovate and think differently about the ways in which we undertake and communicate humanities research.
There is much to be done but also much that can be don
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Open public sector information: from principles to practice
The report on the state of open data in Australia by the Information Commissioner Open public sector information: from principles to practice was published in February 2013.
The report details the results of a survey conducted by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) on how 191 Australian Government agencies manage PSI. The survey was structured around the eight Principles on open public sector information (Open PSI principles) that were published by the OAIC in 2011.
The Open Data Policy of Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads can be found here.
The report details the results of a survey conducted by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) on how 191 Australian Government agencies manage PSI. The survey was structured around the eight Principles on open public sector information (Open PSI principles) that were published by the OAIC in 2011.
The Open Data Policy of Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads can be found here.
The Updated Digital Economy
The Updated Digital Economy paper can be found here. Section 10 in the report explicitly talks about data.gov.au, open data (including opening up the G-NAF spatial data set) and big data.
Governments are key collectors and producers of large amounts of data that, when released publicly for reuse, can be used in new and innovative ways. In the past, governments would charge a fee for access to this data, but there is increasing evidence that free access will bolster economic activity and efficiency.
‘Open data’ is the commitment that some organisations make to allow data to be freely available for reuse. Many groups and innovators are already ‘mashing up’ government data to create new stories, visualisations, resources and tools.
The results of the recent Public Sector Information Survey suggest that many government agencies possess data that could generate significant value if made available for reuse, including by private sector organisations.65 66 The Australian Government has made progress on this front. A recent report by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner Open public sector information: from principles to practice, reported that government agencies are actively embracing an open access and proactive disclosure culture. The high response rate to the Public Sector Information Survey and the widespread and growing use of digital and web technologies to support a transformation is another sign of progress.67
Gov 2.0 - Recent Updates
See Craig Thomler's professional blog - eGovernment and Gov 2.0 thoughts and speculations from an Australian perspective
Pia Waugh writes:
In other open data news, we have been chatting to open data people in governments all around Australia, from Federal agencies and departments, State/Territory Government representatives and a number of Local Governments. We are pulling together with them something of an informal report on the state of open data in Australia at the moment, as there is a lot happening and a lot planned. Below is a bit of a taste of the good work happening around Australia at the moment, and kudos to the excellent work of all involved!
- National
- Launch of the Updated Digital Economy paper which explicitly talks about data.gov.au, open data (including opening up the G-NAF spatial data set) and big data. See section 10 in the report.
- Launch of new data.gov.au in July 2013
- An Australian Linked Data Working Group was established
- The February 2013 report on the state of open data in Australia by the Information Commissioner Open public sector information: from principles to practice
- New South Wales – launch of http://data.nsw.gov.au/ in June 2013 and draft NSW Government Open Data Policy consulted on in June 2013
- South Australia – launch of http://data.sa.gov.au/ in June 2013 and have been releasing an enormous amount of new and high value datasets
- Queensland – launch of http://data.qld.gov.au/ in February 2013 – they also have aschedule for release of data by all QLD Government Departments
- Victoria:
- Launched http://www.data.vic.gov.au/ in 2010
- Aug 2012 - release of the DataVic Access Policy and the Intellectual Property Policy
- April 2013 - release of the DataVic Access Policy Standards and Guidelines
- July 2013 - integration of the Spatial DataMart and Data.Vic completed with access to over 500 spatial data sources (previously restricted) - current total over 1000 data records
- Western Australia – new version of SLIP (New SLIP) in planning over coming 6 months
- Tasmania – have been working primarily on spatial data requirements for the state for the last year
- Australian Capital Territory – launched http://data.act.gov.au/ late last yeara:
- UPDATE: The ACT Government released their Open Data policy on GitHubhttp://t.co/sOjST8pk0S
- Community – GovHack 2013 ran in June with 130 projects and over 1000 participants in 8 cities nationally. Also recently was the Random Hacks of Kindness competition in Melbourne and Sydney City Data Slam.
- New Zealand – The NZ Government have created some excellent open data case studies that we highly recommend, including one where the release of traffic density data led to improved prediction of GDP growth and decline in the New Zealand economy.
One But Many
Winer of the 2013 GovHack contest.
| The Brisbane-based group, Hack the Evening was awarded $1,000 for their project One, but many which took information from the Archives’ Passenger Arrivals Index (PAI) and combined it with historical statistics to create an application to help users learn more about Australia’s migration history.
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