By Naomi Bloch Teresa Scassa is a Geothink co-applicant researcher and Canada Research Chair in Information Law at the University of Ottawa. In a recently published paper, Scassa and co-author Niki Singh consider some of the challenges that arise for open data initiatives operating in multilingual regions. The authors use Canada’s federal open data initiative as a case study to … Read More
Geothink Student Evan Hamilton Explores Canadian Municipal Open Data and the Role of Journalism
By Naomi Bloch Data journalists are some of the most active users of government open data in Canada. In his recently defended thesis, Evan Hamilton, a master’s student in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information, examined the role of data journalists as advocates, users, and producers of open data. Hamilton’s thesis, titled “Open for reporting: An exploration of open … Read More
Geothoughts 7: Unpacking the Current and Future Value of Open Civic Data
By Naomi Bloch Geothink co-applicant researcher Peter A. Johnson is an assistant professor of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Waterloo. Johnson and his students have been working with Geothink government partners across the country to examine the state of civic open data projects in Canada. In our latest podcast, he discusses how the seemingly desirable ethos of open data … Read More
Geothink Researcher Peter Johnson Honored with Early Researcher Award from the Government of Ontario
By Drew Bush Peter Johnson, assistant professor of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Waterloo, was honoured with the Ontario Government’s Early Researcher Award for his project, Measuring the Value and Impact of Open Data. Johnson was one of two professors in his department that were funded. In the project, Johnson will build partnerships with stakeholders, develop case … Read More
RECODE Open Data Youth Leader – My View on A Week of Open Data Events
By Suthee Sangiambut This article contains personal reflections from Geothink’s Newsletter Editor and Student Coordinator, Suthee Sangiambut. This year’s Canada Open Data Summit and International Open Data Conference confirmed that open data and open government are quickly becoming mainstream topics for all sorts of disciplines and subject areas. I consider myself part of the open data community, due to my masters … Read More
Geothoughts 4: Have We Broadened the Audience? Civic Participation in an Age of Digital Technology
By Drew Bush We’re very excited to present you with our fourth episode of Geothoughts. You can also subscribe to this Podcast by finding it on iTunes. This podcast examines how civic participation is changing with the advent of geospatial digital technologies that allow for cities to collect many forms of data on their citizens and for citizens to communicate … Read More
Geothink at the International Open Data Conference – Day 2
By Suthee Sangiambut This Friday saw the conclusion of the International Open Data Conference (IODC) 2015, with an atmosphere of optimism and celebration. Attendees came from all corners of the world in numbers far greater than previous conferences—one indication that the open data movement may be gaining momentum. On this final day, stories of open data implementation were shared from … Read More
Geothink at the International Open Data Conference 2015 – Day 1
By Suthee Sangiambut The 2015 International Open Data Conference (IODC) opened today, May 29, at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa. Below, we detail the conclusions from several panel discussions on open cities. In fact, open cities were the featured topics in two of the day’s panel sessions. While a number of case studies were given, panelists emphasized that few cities … Read More
Geothink at the Canadian Open Data Summit 2015
By Suthee Sangiambut The Canadian Open Data Summit 2015 wrapped up yesterday at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa with the City of Edmonton receiving this year’s Canadian Open Data Award—a nod to the advancement of their open data and open government initiatives. The event was hosted by Open North, and a number of Geothink’s team, partners, and students were present. … Read More
Part 2: Our Project Head on North American Civic Participation and Geothink's Projects
By Drew Bush Part 2 (of 2). This is the second in a two part series with the head of Geothink.ca, Renee Sieber, an associate professor in the Department of Geography and School of Environment at McGill University. In this second part, we pick up the story of how Sieber sees civic participation in North America during an age of … Read More
Geothoughts 2: The Meaning of Open Government and the Role of Citizens with Daniel Paré
By Drew Bush In our second edition of Geothoughts, we’re excited to bring you an interview with an expert in the issues that arise with innovations in information and communications technology. Daniel Paré is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at University of Ottawa. You can also subscribe to this podcast by finding it on iTunes. In this … Read More
Geothoughts 1: What’s in a Plan? Innovation at the Cost of Democracy in Canada
By Drew Bush We’re very excited to present you with our first Geothink.ca Podcast in our series, Geothoughts. You can also subscribe to this Podcast by finding it on iTunes. Our first podcast delves deeper into the opinions of Tracey Lauriault, a researcher at The Programmable City project who specializes in open data and open government in Canada. We explore … Read More
Crosspost: Canada's Information Commissioner Tables Recommendations to Overhaul Access to Information Act
This post is cross-posted with permission from Teresa Scassa, from her personal blog. Scassa is the Canada Research Chair in Information Law at the University of Ottawa. By Teresa Scassa Canada’s Access to Information Act is outdated and inadequate – and has been that way for a long time. Information Commissioners over the years have called for its amendment and … Read More
Torts of the Geoweb: (or the liability question) Part I
By Tenille Brown, PhD student in the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa Recently, on March 3rd as part of the continuing Geothink Project, I hosted a Twitter chat about tort liability with Mapping Mashups. This online forum was joined by Geothink partners and friends and the primary topic discussed was the role of tort law and how … Read More
Open North’s Inventory: Coming Up With Standards for Open Data
By Drew Bush Open North’s James McKinney, Stéphane Guidoin and Paulina Marczak completed an inventory of global open data standards last week that seeks to establish a global viewpoint on the subject and identify any missing pieces. Their work was completed as part of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Working Group, a group that aims to support governments seeking transparency … Read More
Geothink Video Interview 1: Teresa Scassa, University of Ottawa
By Drew Bush This Geothink Video Interview brings us a closeup look at the work and ideas of Teresa Scassa, Canada Research Chair in Information Law at the University of Ottawa. In particular, we talk with her about her views on Canada’s Action Plan for Open Government 2.0, problems with open access under the plan, the idea of making government … Read More
Open Data Gets Boost from Obama’s 2016 Budget Proposal
By Drew Bush Lost in the details of a $4 trillion budget plan proposed by U.S. President Barack Obama are several provisions that seek to increase public access to government data, strengthen government analysis and collection of data and improve data-driven government decision-making, according to a story first reported in the Federal Times. Released on February 2, Obama’s proposed 2016 … Read More
Paper Spotlight: "Enabling Access and Reuse of Public Sector Information in Canada" by Elizabeth Judge
Enabling Access and Reuse of Public Sector Information in Canada: Crown Commons Licenses, Copyright, and Public Sector Information Elizabeth Judge University of Ottawa – Common Law Section October 14, 2010 http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1956549 Abstract: Although the proactive disclosure of public sector information has been called a “basic right of citizens” and a “public right,” Canada has not yet implemented a national strategy … Read More
Re-identification Risk and Proactive Disclosure of Data for Open Government: Lessons from the Supreme Court of Canada?
By Teresa Scassa One of the challenges with the proactive disclosure of government data, and with open data more generally, is the obligation that governments have to not disclose personal information. This challenge is made more acute by the fact that the definition of “personal information” is, generally speaking, “information about an identifiable individual”. Courts in Canada have said that … Read More
Geoweb and Open Data in Canada: Mapping the Terrain
There is much hope expressed about the cultural, economic, political and social opportunities afforded by Geoweb and open data initiatives. Much of the fanfare focuses on how best to harness the power of information and communication technologies in order to beget the economic, political, and socio-cultural benefits that supposedly will follow. Such a view gives rise to two concerns. First, … Read More