Category: open data

The availability of open data and new trends in data visualisation will transform how we understand our cities.

Due to the increasing availability of large urban datasets, it is now becoming easier to produce online visualisations that capture and help interpret the complex spatial dynamics of cities. Duncan A. Smith argues that as further open datasets are made available, … Continue reading

Greater training is necessary to put open data at the heart of Research Data Management policy and practice.

As higher education institutions look to implement broader visions of openness, there is a need to re-assess the training and skills required for appropriate research data management (RDM). Geoff Curtis and Stéphane Goldstein present the findings of a report on how best to … Continue reading

Data sharing not only helps facilitate the process of psychology research, it is also a reflection of rigour.

Although many psychologists acknowledge the usefulness of storing and sharing their data, studies suggest this is not a common practice. Secrecy can lead to all sorts of problems including biases in reporting of results, honest errors, and even fraud. Jelte Wicherts believes it … Continue reading

Two Altmetrics Workshops in San Francisco

Last week, a group forward-thinking individuals interested in measuring scholarly impact gathered at Fort Mason in San Francisco to talk about altmetrics. The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation funded the events at Fort Mason, which included (1) an altmetrics-focused workshop run by the open-access publisher (and leader in ALM) PLOS, and (2) a NISO Alternative Assessment Initiative Project Workshop to discuss standards and […]

Closed Data… Excuses, Excuses

If you are a fan of data sharing, open data, open science, and generally openness in research, you’ve heard them all: excuses for keeping data out of the public domain. If you are NOT a fan of openness, you should be. For both groups (the fans and the haters), I’ve decided to construct a “Frankenstein monster” […]

The Who’s Who of Publishing Research

This week’s blog post is a bit more of a Sociology of science topic… Perhaps only marginally related to the usual content surrounding data, but still worth consideration. I recently heard a talk by Laura Czerniewicz, from University of Cape Town’s Centre for Educational Technology. She was among the speakers  during the Context session at Beyond the […]

The New OSTP Policy & What it Means

Last week, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) responded to calls for broader access to federally funded research. I was curious as to whether this policy had any teeth, so I actually read the official memorandum. Here I summarize and have a few thoughts. The overall theme of the document is best […]