"""Hurling Against a Haystack"": The Incentives and Challenges of Open Data in the Republic of Ireland"

O'Neill, Brittney; Shankar, Kalpana

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/73437 Copy

Description

Title

"""Hurling Against a Haystack"": The Incentives and Challenges of Open Data in the Republic of Ireland"

Author(s)

• O'Neill, Brittney
• Shankar, Kalpana

Issue Date

2015-03-15

Keyword(s)

• data science including digital curation and big data
• information policy and open access
• infrastructure studies

Abstract

Comparative research on data practices is hampered by the difficulty of studying across cases. The Republic of Ireland, with its small geographical size and population, an economy that is highly leveraged in information technology investment, and a centralized funding model provides a unique “laboratory” for examining data infrastructures in social and cultural contexts. This project reports on a preliminary study of the Open Data movement in the Irish public sector with an eye to surfacing themes for understanding data practices and challenges across different sectors. Using semi-structured interviews with individuals (n=11) involved in open data administration across the Republic, the researchers discuss current implementation and ongoing practices. Initial findings with respect to difficulties in measuring success, the sustainability of data, and valuating data are discussed. Future work on understanding how culture may play a role in open data infrastructures, stated and implicit values and biases, and creating and measuring need and impact are briefly discussed.

Publisher

iSchools

Series/Report Name or Number

iConference 2015 Proceedings

Type of Resource

text

Language

English

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/73437

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Copyright 2015 is held by the authors. Copyright permissions, when appropriate, must be obtained directly from the authors.

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