USA: Data.gov

Data.gov

http://www.data.gov

1. Implementation procedure

Name of the institution running website/application:General Services Administration (GSA) - Generalny Urząd ds. Usług, niezależna agencja federalnej administracji USA
Type of the institution running website/application:

an implementation execute by a government institution

Source of financing:

public resources - state budget

Year of launching the website/application: 2009
Website's/application's technology: Wordpress + Python
Service's/application's rating:

2. Implementation's characteristics

Data.gov is an American government project that aims to ensure free access to data collected by public institutions. Obtained data is gathered in formats allowing for it to be further processed through a Web service offering free searching and downloading. The idea behind the project is to publish the greatest possible amount of information (except for personal and confidential information) acquired by U.S. public administration bodies. In January 2015, the Data.gov pulled together 138,507 datasets made available by American public institutions. They have been used in more than 350 internet applications and over 150 mobile applications developed by citizens.

In accordance with the Open Data Policy issued by the President of the United States, each American federal government agency is obliged to actively use the service by making available updated databases in open formats allowing for the electronic processing of data. Local authorities are also encouraged to do so. Any generated data should be structured. Data sharing is meant to become part of the U.S. Government agencies’ internal procedures.

The database has been organized according to the following thematic categories:

  • Agriculture
  • Business
  • Climate
  • Consumer
  • Ecosystems
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Finance
  • Health
  • Local Government
  • Manufacturing
  • Ocean
  • Public Safety
  • Science & Research

The most popular formats for publishing databases include: xls, csv, xml, pdf, txt,html, rdf. Additionally, each database has been tagged, information on who is responsible for its content being available to all service users. Importantly, the service also features APIs (application programming interfaces) developed by governmental agencies, which allows the service’s private users – individuals and enterprises – to integrate to the government’s software.

The activity on the part of the private users of the DATA.GOV service entails bothusing the available data and integrating the government’s software through thefeatured API. Thanks to that, private entities can process the published data andcreate their own applications, including commercial ones. Users can use Twitter topropose their applications, which later on are made available on the DATA.GOVwebsite in the “Impact” section. These are meant to facilitate the development ofservices allowing citizens to use the collected data.

Finally, the service also offers the possibility of reporting problems, submitting comments and discussing issues related to open data.

3. Detailed description categories

Type of the service's/application user:
  • G2C: citizens
  • G2G: state administration (and possibly the site owner. Others)
The application service's usage area:
  • services: cooperation of institutions and citizens in the implementation of public tasks ("we inform, talk and cooperate")
A communication - an indication of all the media and dissemination
  • Independent website dedicated to the application / solution eGov
Access to the full functionality of the service
  1. Access to the service is not required to verify the identity of users / does not require registration of your account.
Tracking of user's activity:
  • without verification / automatic verification
The service's/application's usage areas
  1. Open Data
Forms of interaction with users:
  1. Forum
  2. Social networks (connected with Fb, Twitter, etc.)
  3. Search engine
Service's/Application's integration to social networking sites
  • Yes
Availability of service/application use instruction
Is the connection encrypted?
  • No

4. Service's/Application's integration with social networking sites

As for: 14.01.2015
Twitter number of followers: 13 300 , number of tweets: 2 272
GitHub` number of followers: 103

5. Screen gallery

Homepage with an inventory of topics << Strona główna wraz z wyszczególnionymi działami tematycznymi >>

Searching the available databases << Przeglądanie baz danych >>

List of open data-based applications created by individual users << Lista aplikacji zbudowanych przez prywatnych użytkowników z wykorzystaniem open data >>

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