LIS and Data Engagement
Graham Lally
Oxford Consultants for
Social Inclusion
[email protected]
http://www.ocsi.co.uk/
Coming up
Data Engagement
What is it?
How can it be done?
What are we talking about?
Go beyond just providing data - helping people to get the most
use out of it too.
"A commitment to open data involves making information and
data resources accessible to all without discrimination; and
actively engaging to ensure that information and data can
be used in a wide range of ways."
"[We need a way to]... get beyond simply publishing
datasets, and get to supporting people to use data to create
social, economic and administrative change."
- UK GovCamp 2012
(See http://www.timdavies.org.uk/2012/01/21/5-stars-of-open-data-engagement/)
#ilovemylibrary
Libraries
Libraries Have:
• A lot of different content
• A lot of different users
So they need to find ways to make finding,
suggesting, using information and supporting users as easy
as possible
Same challenge for LIS
But...
• New users and audiences have different backgrounds, skills,
language, needs and questions
• Can get confusing quickly
• How can LIS approach it in a clear, structured way?
• What role(s) can LIS play?
A Charter of Engagement
1. Be demand driven
2. Provide metadata,
context
3. Support conversation
around the data
4. Support skills & capacity
5. Data collaboration
A Charter of Engagement
1. Be demand driven
1. Choosing data
2. Provide metadata,
context
2. Help to understand the
data
3. Support conversation
around the data
3. Help to talk about the
data
4. Support skills & capacity
4. Help to do things with
the data
5. Data collaboration
5. Help improve the data
1. Choosing data
What info do people need to make decisions (right now)?
•
•
•
•
Anticipate needs
Get involved in discussions
Use website analytics - what pages do people visit?
Search metrics - what are people actually looking for?
Search Metrics
Choosing Data
Databridge UK
1. Choosing data
• Resources & Signposting - where else could people look?
• Can people ask you where something is?
Simple, separate form for people to ask where they can find
data?
2. Help to Understand the data
• Understand users - get on the road!
• Is metadata easily accessible and clear?
• Is there information available on frequency of data updates,
formats, reliability concerns, etc?
• Glossary or guide to the data
• Any other examples of data being used?
3. Help to Talk about the data
• Go to the conversation - what existing user groups are
there?
• Be sharable
o Hyperlinks
o 'Share this' buttons for social media
o E-mail alerts
o News items/blog posts
• Be open
o Can users comment at your site?
o Can users reply to each other?
4. Help to Use the data
• Lead by example
4. Help to Use the data
• Lead by example
• Show examples of where data is being used
o Reports
o News articles
o Apps?
• Provide links to useful resources and support
o Local
o National
o General
(e.g. http://www.improving-visualisation.org/case-studies)
5. Help to Improve the data
• What is missing?
• Why is it missing?
• How could it be added?
What do people still need for
"social, economic and administrative change"?
What to do first?
• Remember, just a guide
• But breaks complex area down into easy-to-digest chunks
• Can focus on what's most useful or appropriate for you
Thanks
[email protected]
http://www.ocsi.co.uk/