What we ask ’data sponsors’ to prepare for the TWIST2018 hackdays
In two weeks a diverse crowd of open-minded data-aficionados, designers, developers, topic specialists, and above all citizens are meeting at the University of Zurich to work with open [statistical] data. On our hackdays’ website we are curating an “Ideas & Ressources” section to provide an overview about the available data, and some ideas about what one could make with it. And in a recent blogpost we are pointing to some of the data specifically, too.
What is a ‘data sponsor’?
‘Data’ that is being collected and maintained by government institutions, has often got high relevance and value for the general public. The institutions managing that data are doing it under an official legal mandate, that is specifing responsibility, conditions etc. A ‘data sponsor’ in this respect is a legal subject, that is entitled to provide certain data to be re-used by the public. The term ‘sponsor’ does not imply any financial benefits, it means that the sponsors are open for questions about and beyond that data, and willing to share their knowledge and experience with data users.
What are they preparing for the participants?
Our hackdays will start with an introduction about the data, so that participants are able to make deliberate choices, what data they want to work with at the event. Data sponsors are preparing a maximum 2 minutes long presentation about the data they are responsible for or can provide information about. Participants and data sponsors get to know each other, and — after teams formed around data and ideas/challenges — everyone present knows, whom to ask further questions about specific data.
Data sponsors are either presenting data, which is already openly available including metadata, for download on an open data catalog or similar sources. Or they are presenting data, that is not ‘open’ yet, but has been prepared for the event, again including metadata, and is made available for download via a web server of one of the participating institutions. Often that data will be released as ‘open data’ later, however for the moment, it is not updated regularly. With this option we intend to allow both data sponsors and users to make themselves familiar with what ‘open data’ means, and give space for building mutual trust for future action.
With both presenting, and making data available for the event and beyond, we, as co-organizers of the TWIST2018 hackdays are supporting the data sponsors in their mission to see their data used and useful. Like any participant they are joining the event with interest, passion and curiosity.
Why does this matter — beyond the event?
There is a lot of data in the web. However, there can never be enough knowledge about and experience with the data, which is available for us. That’s one thing we aim to fix with the TWIST2018 hackdays: Give people space and time for talking to each other about the producing, preparing, publishing, getting, using and applying of data, and make that data used and useful.
Follow what’s happening on twitter, or join us on 25–26 August at the University of Zurich!
Thanks to our data sponsors, we are looking forward to an awesome 1st TWIST hackday.
