In the age of Big Data, it’s easy to assume that all parties involved in the collection, management and interpretation of that data have all their ducks in a row. In reality, however, data management is a much bigger animal than it appears. The trick to the right collection and use of data is partnering with a provider with similar goals.
This is especially true in the government sector. Agencies are implementing strategies for making data more readily available and to do so, they must select the right tool, supported by the right partner. Static data tends to be easy to access and understand and doesn’t need a complex approach to make it useful. Other datasets, however, may need special handling so they can be used and adaptable to open data portals that the public sector can easily manage.
A recent GCN report examined a few of the options we have at our disposal, including enterprise-open source. One popular option is CKN as it provides tools for streamlining, sharing, publishing, finding and using datasets. While it was designed for larger enterprise datasets, CKAN offers more than 300 open source data management extensions that are constantly evolving. Users can leverage this tool to host, configure and deploy data.
Another option is map-based portals. Esri software users tend to migrate towards ArcGID Open Data as it builds right on top of the already published services from ArcGIS. The configuration and federation of geodata into an open data portal is enabled. This data and metadata is then viewed in the browser, allowing users to interact with it or download it in a variety of formats. With this portal, advanced visualization tools are not readily available.
If more data visualization is desired, GCN recommend services such as Socrata, Junar and OpenDataSoft. Each offering brings its own benefits to the table, although Socrata is known for its ability to host very large datasets. Junar is easy-to-use and delivered through Software-as-a-Service (SaaS (News - Alert)) with a full range of API options. Automated API generation allows for interaction and visualization with OpenDataSoft. It also allows for integration with large datasets, multiple formats and provides for near real-time analysis and search.
While not every tool will work in every setting, the point is tools are becoming readily available in the quest for data management within government agencies. As these agencies search for ways to make data more accessible and useful, tools like those mentioned above will serve as valuable assets.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson