Open Data Workshop – Melbourne Networked Society Institute

‘Open data’ involves the publication of anonymised datasets on freely accessible online platforms for use by businesses, entrepreneurs, journalists, researchers and everyday citizens. Open data policies are being embraced by local, national and state governments in Australia and internationally, with open data ‘portals’ and repositories like data.gov.au used to publish large volumes of data free to use and share under a creative commons licence.

Governments and advocates of open data argue that data is more socially and economically valuable when it is free and open, rather than behind a paywall. They contend that it increases government accountability and transparency; improves efficiency of public services and infrastructure; encourages citizen participation in planning and policymaking; and stimulates innovation and entrepreneurship through start-ups and app development. On the other hand, open data also raises concerns about privacy, ‘data linking’ and the growing reliance of governments and corporations on ‘big data’ algorithms for their strategic and decision-making processes.

This one-day workshop brings together policymakers, scholars and industry users of open data to discuss the opportunities and challenges open data presents for stakeholders, compare best practice and discuss the future of open and ‘big’ data in government policy. Invitees will be invited to participate in a day of catered roundtable discussions led by the MNSI Open Data for City Planning & Policy research team.