The Three Phases of Open Data Quality Control
By Dennis D. McDonald, Ph.D., dmcdonald@balefireglobal.com Introduction In my previous post about open data quality the suggested solutions relate not just to adhering to standards but also to making sure that the processes by which open data are published and maintained are efficiently and effectively managed. In this post I drill down a bit more on that point about the management processes. Three Phases When discussing open data it helps to look at open data projects with tasks divided into at least three related phases: Assessment and planning Data preparation and publishing Ongoing maintenance and support Different tools and processes are relevant to each phase. Each can have an impact on the quality of the data as well as its perceived quality. Phase 1. Assessment and planning Critical to data quality at this first phase of an open data project is an understanding of the "who, where, how, how much, and why" of the data. If the goals of the project include making data f