Unit 3: Making Data Open

Go back to Open Data Management in Agriculture and Nutrition Online Course

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This unit provides a foundation in how to manage datasets, creating and managing open data repositories, advocacy for capacity development, and developing strategies for sustainable open data plans.

At the end of this unit, you will be able to;

  • understand good data management practices,
  • acquire knowledge how to create data management plan
  • identify the steps establishing an open repository
  • understand requirements for managing open data repository
  • deliver capacity development activities
  • implement open data plans

 Lesson 3.1: Managing datasets

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The lesson aims to explain basic principles behind data management, introduce the process of preparing a data management plan, and introduce concepts on data storage, versioning, and documentation practices. After studying this lesson, you should be able to identify the steps for good scientific data management practices, prepare data management plan, and understand the potential benefits of using data storage and versioning good practices. 

Lesson 3.2: Managing dynamic datasets

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The lesson aims to outline the differences between automated process (e.g. sensor networks) and manual input/aggregation, introduce the simple ways to check for values, and provide examples of data portals, incremental files and harvesting, APIs. After studying this lesson, you should be able to understand the processes that play a role to maintain and expose dynamic datasets, be aware of existing examples of dynamic datasets, and methods to check for data consistency in dynamic datasets. 

 Lesson 3.3: Creating and managing open data repositories

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The lesson aims to provide an overview of how to create an open data repository, explain the requirements for managing a repository, and describe the different components in data curation. After studying this lesson, you should be able to identify the steps to create an open repository, select the appropriate software tool for setting up a repository, understand the requirements to efficiently manage an open data repository, and different components in data curation. 

 Lesson 3.4: Advocate for capacity development on open data

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The lesson aims to provide a foundation in advocacy for open data, building capacity development,  value creation and societal impact with open data. After studying this lesson, you should be able to understand the importance of promoting your own repository, facilitate capacity development activities, package, deliver and disseminate the information for advocacy purposes, communicate value and impact of open data with their audience, and collect, prepare lessons learnt and good practices. 

 Lesson 3.4 - Annex: Use cases on open weather data

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The lessons aims to provide successful narratives of the use of weather data providing perspectives to advocate for open data. Two use cases are presented from NOAA (United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and farm management advice to smallholders in Bangladesh. 

Lesson 3.5: Developing strategies for implementing open data plans

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The lessons aims to provide an insight on how to develop and implement clear, sustainable strategies for an open data policy. After studying this lesson, you should be able to acquire knowledge on how to develop and formulate a policy for open data, describe methods and considerations to implement an open data policy, engage stakeholders in policy implementation, identify sustanability issues in an open data policy, and be aware of how to overcome of these issues.

 Webinar. Strategies for Supporting Collaborations and Building Relationships for Opening Data in Agriculture

Slides: Online on SlideShare (Click here for .pdf)

Webinar: Online on YouTube

Presenter notes: Click here for .pdf

About the webinar: This webinar highlights the importance of identifying and involving different stakeholder groups and sectors to ensure an inclusive and collaborative process to develop open data strategies and policies. We will explore questions such as “How do you convince someone to open their data?” and “How to you put an effective policy in place?”

Presenter: Ruthie Musker, Strategic Projects and Partnership Leads at GODAN.

Ruthie Musker oversees GODAN’s Partner Network of over 600 partners including governments, industry, foundations, NGOs and farmer organizations. Her current projects include advising partners on overcoming open data challenges, advancing donors and universities open data policies and practice, creating implementation plans for governments to open data, improving the GODAN partner user experience, and developing a specific strategy to open nutrition data responsibly.

Audiovisual Learning Materials

Agriculture Open Data Package

Direct link: https://youtu.be/_QTl6zIKzOQ

CKAN as an open source data management solution for open data

Direct link: https://youtu.be/nUn1jAuuojk