What is Open Data in an Archaeological Context?
Henriette Roued-Cunliffe, Jensen, Peter · Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) · 2017
This paper will examine the concept of open data and data sharing in an archaeological context. The Open Knowledge Foundation [1] states that: “Open means anyone can freely access, use, modify, and share for any purpose (subject, at most, to requirements that preserve provenance and openness),”. In a cultural context the OpenGLAM initiative has worked on principles that are championed by OpenGLAM [2] institutions [3], including how they should engage with the public about the reuse of their open data. As we can see the focus is very much on openness for all and for all purposes and for archaeological data we must remember to ask: Who is it open for? What is it open for? And how open is open. In order to discuss this I have formulated five questions that can be used to assess how open an archaeological dataset is: Is the material published online, with metadata so that it can be searched and found? Is the material published with an open license or in the public domain and is this clearly communicated in conjunction with the material? Does the creator actively encourage reuse of the material and provide support for anyone who wishes to reuse it, free of charge? Is the material available in an open machine readable format, that anyone can export/download? Is the material available through a welldescribed web service or API (Application Programming Interface), that anyone has access to? [1] http://opendefinition.org [2] http://openglam.org/principles/ [3] GLAM: Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums