Getting started with open knowledge

Community Member Introductions
1

Hi everyone,

As a newbie to the world of open knowledge / open data, I find myself struggling to get a good grasp on the topic. One of the issues, I’m sure you’ll agree, is that there are so many initiatives, organisations, resources, blogs, etc. out there, that it is difficult to know where to start.

I’d like to use this thread to gather resources that give (preferably short and clear) insight into open knowledge - some kind of starter kit, if you will. It would be great to have resources that cover different aspects and appeal to different backgrounds/levels of technical knowledge. For instance:

  • Concept/Philosophy of open knowledge: what is open knowledge, where does it come from, why do we want it, what are the debates, etc.?
  • Technical aspects: how do we achieve open knowledge, what are the standards for open data, etc.? - this could be for example for people with a developer background.
  • Policy/societal aspects: what are topical issues related to open knowledge?
  • Specific dimensions of open knowledge: open data, government data, open science (open access), open education…

Resources suggested:

  • The Open Definition: because starting with a definition is always a good idea.
  • The European Data Portal’s eLearning programme: 13 short modules for all levels, with additional resources to dive deeper into the subjects of particular interest to you. Having tried a couple of modules myself, I can confirm that they even suit someone with very little experience with data or technical knowledge.
  • Open Data Handbook: Guides, case studies and resources for government & civil society on the “what, why & how” of open data. Available in several languages.
  • Creative Commons (CC): a good introduction to licences, useful e.g. to decide which one to apply to your work, and to search materials under a CC licence.

What are your go-to resources on open knowledge?

1 Like
2

I am so new at this I am whatever comes before newbie! I have used the Creative Commons site. Is that the type of thing you mean?

3

Absolutely! I find CC licences quite straightforward to understand and use. I quite like their licence-picking tool, would say it’s a good tool for someone looking to open up their data sets for instance.

4

Hello @MathPascal can I recommend the following guide? :slight_smile:

Open Data Handbook

Guides, case studies and resources for government & civil society on the “what, why & how” of open data.

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5

@MathPascal just want to :thumbsup: @danfowler’s suggestion of the:

Moreover, if we find things missing there please say as we can add them … :slight_smile:

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