Title: Public sector information and open data: which way forward for the UK?

Authors: Stephen Saxby; Chris Hill

Addresses: The Law School, Faculty of Business and Law, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK. ' GeoData Institute, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK

Abstract: Since 2009, the move towards open data policies in the UK, also currently under review in proposals to replace PSI Directive 2003/98/EC on access and re-use of data, is having a profound impact on UK policy towards public sector information (PSI) that, as a resource, goes to the core of its function and purpose. Driven by principles of openness and transparency, the process now supports the systematic release into the public domain of PSI in the form of datasets. The government believes that collective scrutiny of such data, while contributing to transparency, may also offer new insights into policy. Expectations have grown and new partnerships are emerging that blur traditional distinctions as to what is 'public' and 'private' in this regard. Government has also been listening to the ideas of the founder of the World Wide Web that much more can be secured from today's web via adoption of new techniques for linking data. The important contribution that location data, 'information rich' in content, can make towards policy development has been recognised and acted upon.

Keywords: linked data; INSPIRE; spatial information; European Community; EC Directive 2007/2; spatial data infrastructures; SDI; PSI; EC Directive 2003/98; information re-use; public sector information; DNF; Digital National Framework; Location Strategy; UK; United Kingdom; Public Data Corporation; Ordnance Survey; maps; mapping; Making Open Data Real; public consultations; Place Matters; government reports; data access; openness; transparency; public domain; datasets; data release; collective scrutiny; policy insights; expectations; traditional distinctions; public-private partnerships; PPPs; Tim Berners-Lee; internet; world wide web; data linking; location data; information rich content; policy development; public law; public policy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPLAP.2012.047428

International Journal of Public Law and Policy, 2012 Vol.2 No.3, pp.299 - 333

Published online: 30 Sep 2014 *

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