Open Data for Everybody

Using Open Data for Social Good

Nathan Coyle

• Publisher: Chapman and Hall/CRC
• Year: 2024
• Print ISBN: 9781032724621
• eBook ISBN: 9781040037287
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Computer Science General
• Index: Computer Science

What if I told you something that could empower our third sector and activists to enhance their capacity? From gathering evidence for funding tenders to campaigning for crucial social issues and much more? It's called open data, yet many in social action remain unaware of it. Primarily shaped by corporate entities, open data seems tailored only for technologists, alienating the third sector. But in reality, it's a powerful tool for social change, bolstering civil society, and creating resilient communities.

This book argues a simple point: if open data and the digital aspects that support it aren't accessible to all, then what is the point of it? In an age where technology should be seen as a fundamental human right, it's time to rethink outreach. Deeply rooted in grassroots social activism, this book explores a journey that led to collaborations with governments globally, based on real hands-on work, aiming to democratize open data. Through narrative storytelling, we share insights, best practices, procedures, and community-driven approaches. Regardless of your skill set or organization size, from grassroots workers to third-sector professionals and government officers, join us to reshape the perception of open data, fostering change in neighborhoods.

Open Data for Everybody: Using Open Data for Social Good is a love letter to open data's transformative power. To create solutions, understanding the problem is crucial. This book seeks to return control to the real experts—those living and working within our communities.

Discover more at: www.opendataforeverybody.com

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• About the Author
• 1 Introduction
• 2 What Is Open Data?
• 3 From the Ground Up: Using Open Data to Help Close the Digital Divide
• 4 Open Doors, Open Data: Making Your Data “Open” and Licensing
• 5 Making Open Data Outreach Human-Centered
• 6 The Language around Open Data and Adding Public Value to Our Narrative
• 7 Open Data for Fundraising: Is It More Important than Ever? Building Capacity and Learning from the COVID-19 Aftermath
• 8 Data without Security Is Like a Ship without a Captain—Adrift and Vulnerable
• 9 Data Self-Defense: Data Compliance and Regulation
• 10 Data Sovereignty: Where Data Calls Home and It’s Digital Borders
• 11 Collective Power: Democratizing Open Data and Overcoming Barriers
• 12 Trust in Our Institutions, Does It Affect Digital Strategy?
• 13 Empowering Collaborative Communities: The Role of Data-Driven Decision-Making in Promoting Co-Ownership and Shared Responsibility
• 14 War of the Words: Unearthing Misinformation
• 15 Influencing Change with Data, North Macedonia as a Case Study
• 16 Punk as Hell: DIY Digitalism and How Open-Source Makes Releasing Your Data Easy
• 17 Strengthening Disability Charities: Open Data and Society’s Responsibility for Accessibility
• 18 Black Summer: Open Data for Environmental Activism
• 19 Fake It and They’ll Make It: AI, Deep Fakes, Data, Cybercrime and Bias
• 20 Lessons from Open Data Activism and Data Journalism
• 21 Getting Creative with Data—Communications Is Key
• 22 Outreach Recommenda­tions
• 23 Unlocking the Power of Open Data: Creating an Engaging Workshop Manuscript