Why the UK Leads the World in Open Data While Russia Ranks Last
Nowadays, there is increasing discussion about big data. People often say that data is the new treasure; if you master data, it is akin to possessing a gold mine.
However, if data are protected, how can people access the resources that are so critical to innovation? VCBeat believes that open data policies will serve as a powerful catalyst for liberating data, enabling innovators and researchers to obtain the data they need. This holds true across various sectors, including the economy, healthcare, and scientific research.
Lukas Biewald, founder and CEO of CrowdFlower, stated, “The importance of data to business is becoming increasingly prominent, yet nearly all data remains siloed within individual companies. The lack of open data is hindering innovation, a situation that urgently needs to change.”
Daniel Castro, head of the Center for Open Data Innovation, stated, “Whether it is establishing a modern evidence-based healthcare system or building sustainable, energy-efficient cities, data has increasingly become a critical factor in many fields.” The center primarily focuses on research at the intersection of data, public policy, and related technologies.
"Open Data Charter"
In the summer of 2013, leaders of the G8 nations met in Northern Ireland and jointly signed the “G8 Open Data Charter.” This agreement outlines the role of open data in fostering innovation and enhancing government transparency. The signatory countries to the Charter all expressed their endorsement of five open data principles.
The five major principles are as follows:
Default to publishing open data;
Emphasize both the quality and quantity of data;
Available to all;
To improve governance and release data;
Release data to incentivize innovation;
The Center for Open Data Innovation ranked the G8 nations based on data openness and transparency, as well as each country’s adherence to five key principles. In this ranking, each country’s score was determined by its level of compliance with the five principles outlined in the Open Data Charter. Each principle carried a maximum of 20 points, for a total possible score of 100.
As shown in the figure, the United Kingdom scored the highest, Canada and the United States were tied for second place, France followed closely, Italy, Japan, and Germany had similar scores, and Russia ranked last.
Open Data Portal
In line with the spirit of the Open Data Charter and its five core principles, G8 nations have each established their own government open data portals. VCBeat believes that while the number of datasets is not the sole precise metric for evaluating the value of a data portal, and different countries may present data in varying ways, these datasets still provide a certain reflection of a country’s level of open data development.
In an interview, Daniel Castro also expressed strong interest in seeing whether the verbal commitments made by various countries to the 2013 “Open Data Charter” would be put into practice. Castro considered the overall outcomes satisfactory. With the exception of Russia, every member of the G8 has placed significant emphasis on open data. Although the extent of implementation varies across countries, Castro was pleased to observe that nearly every nation is striving to open up its data sources, recognizing the potential value of open data in fostering innovation.
Nations outside the G8 have also made progress in open data policies. According to a report by khaleejtimes.com, Dubai has announced that it will mandate the sharing of open data, with this policy set to be formally implemented by the end of this year.
What is the utility of open data for innovation in the healthcare sector?
Efforts to promote open data should be prioritized by both governments and enterprises. With Apple’s recent release of ResearchKit, researchers can now access health data generated by Apple users on the HealthKit platform who participate in studies. In fact, public willingness to engage in such research and share relevant personal data has consistently remained strong.
ResearchKit was established precisely in response to this intent, and it has already proven successful. According to Bloomberg, early researchers who joined the platform reported receiving thousands of offers from volunteers willing to share their relevant data following the launch of ResearchKit. A medical trial leveraging data from the ResearchKit platform attracted 11,000 participants. In contrast, traditional data collection methods would require 50 medical centers a full year to gather the same volume of data.
However, VCBeat believes that data from certain users may also mislead research. For instance, accidental button presses or lending one’s phone to others can introduce errors. Harvard Medical School Professor C. Michael Gibson expressed similar concerns in an interview. Therefore, while open data offers significant benefits for data collection in medical research, further consideration is needed to ensure its reliability.
With the launch of more open data platforms such as Apple’s ResearchKit, it is believed that the movement toward open data is on the right track. The next issue we need to consider is likely privacy.