The open standards for data guidebook was developed and published by the Open Data Institute (ODI) in 2018. It is intended to support people and organisations to create, develop and adopt open standards for data.
Background
The ODI’s innovation programme kicked off in July 2017 to advance knowledge and expertise in how data can shape the next generation of services, and create economic growth. The funds for it were awarded through Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, in a three-year programme, running to March 2020 with a funding profile of £2m each year.
The programme consists of a number of projects which are all aimed at advancing our understanding of the opportunities data can bring and some of the pitfalls to avoid. They are intended to enable the UK to build on its established strengths in data and data analytics, break new ground in creating value from data across industry, and ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of data innovation globally.
This guidebook was produced as part of a project exploring how to make it quicker and easier for organisations to create and adopt open standards for data.
The project consisted of three phases:
- Working with four partners to document approaches to creating open standards
- Desk and user research to explore approaches to adoption and development of open standards
- Development and testing of this guidebook
We have created some suggestions of how to use this guide.
Acknowledgements
This guidebook is the end result of the hard work and enthusiasm of a large team of people from across the ODI and our wider network.
In addition to the in-house team working on the project, we would like to thank:
- Rose Rees-Jones for leading the user research phase of the project
- Edafe Onerhime for her thorough approach to user research and commitment to developing clear, accessible guidance
- Our four project partners: Porism, OpenNorth, Open Data Services and the W3C
- Text Matters for editing and improving the guidebook content
- Kind for creating an excellent design and publishing framework for the website
- Freya Hellier for recording and editing our “Community Voices” podcasts
- Ian Dutnall for designing the infographics
We would also like to give a special thank you to everyone who contributed to other areas of the project.
Whether you participated in interviews, attended workshops, helped with our user research, contributed to a podcast, or reviewied early drafts of the guidebook, your time and efforts are greatly appreciated.