The document discusses the importance and current state of open data in official statistics, focusing on initiatives at both the international and national levels, including actions taken by the EU and G8. It mentions that Istat, the Italian National Institute of Statistics, has made significant progress in providing open datasets, along with various projects aimed at enhancing data dissemination. The document concludes by acknowledging that while many advancements have been made, further work is needed to fully realize the potential of open and linked data.

1. Open Data in
Official Statistics
Domenico Donvito
Director – ICT Directorate

2. Outline
1.Introduction
2.Open Data: International Context
3.Open Data: National Context
4.Open Data in Istat
5.Conclusions
Open Data in Official Statistics, Domenico Donvito, July 10, 2013 2

3. Open
Data
More
Sources
Linked
Data
More
Context
Social Data
More
Relationships
Shared
Data
More
Stakeholders
Source: Gartner
In the Land of Shared Data
“A piece of data or
content is open if
anyone is free to
use, reuse, and
redistribute it
— subject
only, at most, to
the requirement
to attribute
and/or share-alike.”
Big Data
More
Data
“Big data” refers to datasets whose size is beyond
the ability of typical database software tools to
capture, store, manage, and
analyze.”
Open Data in Official Statistics, Domenico Donvito, July 10, 2013 3

4. OPEN LICENSE
REUSABLE
OPEN FORMAT
Resource
Description
Framework
Linked
Open
Data
All the below, plus: Link your
data to other people’s data to
provide context
All the below, plus: Link your
data to other people’s data to
provide context
All the below, plus: Use open standards
from W3C (RDF and SPARQL) to identify
things, so that people can point at your
stuff
All the below, plus: Use open standards
from W3C (RDF and SPARQL) to identify
things, so that people can point at your
stuff
as (2) plus non-proprietary format
(e.g. CSV instead of excel)
as (2) plus non-proprietary format
(e.g. CSV instead of excel)
Available as machine-
readable structured data
(e.g. excel instead of image
scan of a table)
Available as machine-
readable structured data
(e.g. excel instead of image
scan of a table)
Open Data 5 Star Model (Tim Berners-Lee)
Available on the
web (whatever
format) but with
an open license
Available on the
web (whatever
format) but with
an open license
Open Data in Official Statistics, Domenico Donvito, July 10, 2013 4

5. Open Data: International Context
 Some EU legislative initiatives and policy actions in the
field of open data
 Revision of the Directive 2003/98/EC on the re-use of public
sector information (published on 26 june 2013)
 EC Horizon 2020 offers opportunities for multi-disciplinary,
collaborative research in the use of Big Data and Open Data to
support key societal challenges (health, energy, transport, food,
climate, and inclusive, innovative and secure societies)
 At the G8 level, an “Open Data Charter” was signed by
G8 leaders in June 2013 to promote transparency,
innovation and accountability
 Istat made available some key datasets (http://dati.gov.it)
according to the agreements in the Action Plan
Open Data in Official Statistics, Domenico Donvito, July 10, 2013 5

6. Open Data: National Context
Statistical Data
• Statistical data is already “open”
 Current legislation states that statistical data “belong”
to the community and must be available to everyone
upon request
• Statistical data is subject to confidentiality
constraints
Open Data in Official Statistics, Domenico Donvito, July 10, 2013 6

7. Open Data in Istat – 1/2
• Our statistical production is made available to
the public as open data
• I.stat: Web warehouse of statistics produced by
Istat
=> http://dati.istat.it/
• Export formats:
–CSV
–SDMX (Statistical Data
and Metadata eXchange) OPEN LICENSE
REUSABLE
OPEN FORMAT
RDF
LOD
Open Data in Official Statistics, Domenico Donvito, July 10, 2013 7

8. Open Data in Istat – 2/2
• SEP: Single Exit Point
• Centralized dissemination point
of I.stat data via web-service
(machine-to machine)
OPEN LICENSE
REUSABLE
OPEN FORMAT
RDF
LOD
Open Data in Official Statistics, Domenico Donvito, July 10, 2013 8

9. I.Stat
Open Data in Official Statistics, Domenico Donvito, July 10, 2013 9

10. Open Data by Italian Public Administrations
(February 2013)
More than
600 datasets
published by
Istat
More than
600 datasets
published by
Istat
Open Data in Official Statistics, Domenico Donvito, July 10, 2013 10

11. Open Data in Istat – next
 Projects underway & future
projects:
SEP enhancement through
RDF-based dissemination
RDF publication of Official
Classifications
Use case of RDF publication
of Population Census data
 Open Data Lab: test, pilot OPEN LICENSE
REUSABLE
OPEN FORMAT
RDF
LOD
Open Data in Official Statistics, Domenico Donvito, July 10, 2013 11

12. Conclusions
 Open Data:
 Many things done…
 …still many to be done, but on the way!
 Big Data:
 Several opportunities
 Smart cities
Question: Are Census Data Big Data?
Answer: Not actually, but…it will be nice to have
them as Open Data, or even better as Linked
Open Data!
Open Data in Official Statistics, Domenico Donvito, July 10, 2013 12
SD
BD
LD
SoD
OD