open data essay

open data essay

According to Zuiderwijk & Janssen (2014), open data refers to any verbal or written information that can be used by the public without obeying regulations provided by the copyright or any regulatory authority in the field of data manipulation. This means that any individual desiring to use such information is open to access with no legal punishment served. In our contemporary society, information handling, and generation through the use of the new advancing technology have helped in improving the livelihoods of individuals worldwide. Data can reach millions of people rapidly evident through the use of technology. Information dissemination helps a lot in influencing people to foster growth in society; thus, the successful advancements of organizations and individual growth. An open data foundation is desired to assimilate disaster awareness and management issues worldwide through monitoring and analyzing data to be recorded in government statutory and discovering opportunities evident from the gaps present. Upon proper utilization, open data can positively impact the lives of individuals globally.

Legal authorities and those in power should promote transparency when handling laws and regulations of open data. The public should be educated on the importance of conforming to policies of open data; this way, they will encourage formulations of new ideas from the existing information. When data is considered as a tool for development, the authorities in charge should ensure that it is made available to the public. Discrimination of data among the haves and don’ts should be minimized to ensure that everyone gets the chance to express their views. This way, the required information will be achieved within the stipulated agreements. Data is required to be provided at the right time under the right channels with no unnecessary attachments.

The priority role of the state is to make data that foster improvement for the nation available to the public. It should also ensure that the information generated to and by the public is safe and void to destructions. They should promote the sovereignty and confidentiality of government activities. Therefore, the government should have bodies that oversee how information is utilized by the public to avoid unnecessary challenges in the future. The information provided must aid in the improvements of lives and available to new opportunities in the future (Kitchin 2014).

Benefits of Open Data to Businesses and organizations

Relationship channels between the government and its citizens often affect the development influence to be effected in a country. A government that is mean to its citizens in terms of information dissemination is often considered a failed nation. Therefore, any state must ensure that any data that requires discoveries are made open to the public. A nation is united and democratic, especially when it involves its citizens in the day to day activities. A successful government is the one that allows its public to have the right to access information intended for the development of the nation with no restrictions. It is the one that allows criticism from the public to identify areas that need improvements.

A citizen that understands the roles and functions of the government often critic objectively depending on their rights. Activists often come through to protests for the rights and services of their fellow citizens; hence the government is put in place in regards to its stipulated activities. Open information to the public, therefore, allows citizens to rate services provided to the citizens by a government and are open to provide suggestions for new developments or those meant to improve the departments that lag behind. Data records of the government are essential to the activists, especially when generating views to be used in the advice of government roles and functions. For example, data on monetary allocations to the various government sectors can create sound debates on departments that require much or fewer budget allocations for the future. Activists fight easily for improvements when the areas that need reforms are identified. Activists help a lot in keeping track of the administration’s future plans and tasks. According to Dawes, Vidiasova & Parkhimovich (2016), citizens claim themselves as part and parcel of the government when their opinions and ideas are put into practice by the government. Incorporating government roles among the citizens ensures a balanced and satisfied society. Open data to the public ensures that the citizen’s ideas and suggestions are put into plans for future developments by the governments.

Gonzalez-Zapata & Heeks (2015), opine that national and international investors play a crucial role in influencing the prowess of a country. Determining the worth of a nation, therefore, needs the presence of business establishments. Before establishing any business opportunity, investors both within and outside a nation often study the relationship between the government and its people. How the government relates to its people in terms of information handling and the ability to formulate citizen-friendly business policies often determine the willingness of business investors in a society. Many are likely to participate in investment opportunities when the government seems friendly to its people.

Before concluding an opportunity, investors often conduct market evaluation and analysis to determine their comfortability in a nation. Part of the measures analyzed includes the policies and regulations required for investment in the field of interest. The approval steps required to start a business opportunity is also looked at. These measures are all essentials to any potential investor. A government that listens to its people in an open forum often ends up having several investors who, in return, help in balancing the economy. A conducive work environment with a friendly government can win bonuses from investors to a government. For instance, hospitality and learning institutions often utilize open data to market their services in a nation. Open data is important for investors to strategize their market opportunities for a better future in a nation.

Access to services provided by the government has been made easy through the availability of open data to all. Open information to citizens by the government helps facilitate easy acquisition to many services provided by the government more so those that were seen as government-mandated only and could be performed by the restricted authority. Engagement between the government and its citizens has changed to the better part. Citizens now have the mandate of identifying different opportunities present and supporting the government in implementing services for the public. Regular feedbacks in an open society often promotes prowess in the nation’s activities. Respect for societal views often guarantees a conducive environment for both the government and its citizens to work on.

Security Concerns Affecting Usefulness of Open Data

The importance of data is achieved when its information is made valid, acceptable, and rendered at the right time. Only the desired respondents should access the desired information to enhance confidentiality. As per the federal stipulations, any information rendered to the public must uphold the integrity and with no manipulation. Data posted on federal websites should contain truthful information with no tamper by the public. The information open for access should have a similar meaning to all.reports have it that once information is rendered negative by the public, then the availability of it to be received positively by the society will be minimal. Convincing a negative generation is termed as meaningless, for there are no positive feedbacks to be ascertained when speaking the truth. The reaction to any information by the public is often determined by the truthiness of the data. It is very easy to convince the public to believe in government services when they have trust in it. Maximum support is enhanced much when there is positive feedback.

Timely posting of data ensures that the citizens get the desired information on the latest trends and initiatives done by the state. All the state regulations should be strictly followed to ensure that every individual is entitled to accessing the information despite their position in a nation. The data provided should be free from discrimination. Only information fit for public consumption should be provided on the federal website.

Even though the data provided is essential to the government, it should be well understood that individual privacy should be upheld and respect. As outlined by Stuebs & Sun ( 2015), privacy is a critical aspect when providing public information. Hence it’s essential to make sure all the data in the public respects individual privacy and should always be free from any kind of biasness. Other than public information provision, the data should not outlay a picture of unfairness in society as it can lead to conflicts among members of a given society. As portrayed in the policy of data management, confidentiality is perceived as a crucial aspect when dealing with the importance of given information. An example is any publication that is done specifically for the public should not have any biasness concerning any community or given society.

When providing information to public accessibility is a key factor. Therefore, any information published in a government website should be delivered in a way the is not only convenient but also open for retrieval as well as available for public download. How individuals react to any given data will depend on ways such data was presented to them. Those acts that inhibit the public from either accessing or downloading data should be forbidden. As posited by Zuiderwijk & Janssen (2014), the outline concerning the completeness and how data presented for a given user should ensure that individuals get access and use the information with no convenience as per their affordability. Hence policies put in place ensure that the users access and utilize the information or data as reference irrespective of time. How information is preserved is another key aspect concerning open data, and hence its components should be upheld. As outlined by Conradie & Choenni (2014), the validity of the information presented on the government website depends on the comprehensiveness of the data. Thus, the information should be posted on their primary form and should abide by the law. This makes sure that the public gets the correct information free from discrimination and biasness.

Recommendations for Improving the Usefulness of Open Data

Open data is a fundamental aspect not only to the state but also to the public domain. Hence it is essential to be treated with proper care in order to make sure its utility is not conceded. It is the role of the federal government to provide open information that always respects people’s confidentiality as well as acceptable to a given society. Therefore the government needs to make sure all the public content is updated and consistent. Despite the fact that change is unavoidable, it is the mandate of the government to inform the public concerning developing facts and make sure they have consistent information. More so, standardization of information will aid in smoothening aspects concerning the security of the content provided. The integrity, as well as the validity of the information, can be improved through standardization by the government. Consumption of information by the public mainly depends on the decision and governance of any information to be published. The data should always be analyzed and critically accessed before publishing any government websites. The information should be free from any kind of biasness and discrimination.

Conclusion

Open data act as a critical aspect of any nation’s governance and should be handled very effectively. Respecting citizen confidentiality is essential not only to the importance of social development and administrative purposes but also for the effectiveness of economic growth. Policies also should be put in place to ensure all the data published meet the required standard. These standards should revolve around high integrity, effective validity, availability, and confidentiality. These measures ensure that the data aid the public make effective decisions as they thrive towards effective governance. In order to meet these requirements, the government needs to put in place effective policies. On the other hand, websites should be updated often with the proper kind of information. The validity of the information should be counterchecked before posting as well as confidentiality be uphold.