Why should we trust open data

Following in the footsteps of governments around the world, institutions outside national government have begun to explore the potential for releasing their data for public use. The World Bank last month opened up its data sources for public use – a remarkable development from an institution notorious in some circles for its largely secretive and closed operating practices.

An open letter signed by provosts from some of America’s most prestigious universities voices public support for a piece of legislation going through US Congress which will open up academic research to the public.

The letter calls this legislation a ‘watershed’ and if it is successful, it will likely be followed by similar movements across the world.

In the UK, Karin Tullo, the director of the National Archives, highlights some of the challenges to making data accessible which are likely to surface as the open data movement gathers momentum.

"As we move away from close central control, it does mean we lose the ability to know exactly how our information is being used."

Tullo’s point is that the use, re-use and mash-up of data may raise questions about the reliability and credibility of the information produced. But this challenge could also be a great opportunity for a public debate about what makes data legitimate. Sciencewise’s coverage of ‘climategate’ last month highlighted why keeping publicly funded data out of public view poses a severe risk to public trust in science.

Opening up data on a mass scale could provide the space for debates around why we trust data in the first place and help to strengthen rather than diminish public trust in science.