Talk delivered at YOW! Developer Conferences in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney Australia on 1-9 December 2016. Abstract: Governments collect a lot of data. Data on air quality, toxic chemicals, laws and regulations, public health, and the census are intended to be widely distributed. Some data is not for public consumption. This talk focuses on open government data — the information that is meant to be made available for benefit of policy makers, researchers, scientists, industry, community organisers, journalists and members of civil society. We’ll cover the evolution of Linked Data, which is now being used by Google, Apple, IBM Watson, federal governments worldwide, non-profits including CSIRO and OpenPHACTS, and thousands of others worldwide. Next we’ll delve into the evolution of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Open Data service that we implemented using Linked Data and an Open Source Data Platform. Highlights include how we connected to hundreds of billions of open data facts in the world’s largest, open chemical molecules database PubChem and DBpedia. WHO SHOULD ATTEND Data scientists, software engineers, data analysts, DBAs, technical leaders and anyone interested in utilising linked data and open government data.

1. ExtendYourReach.
Linking Open Government
Data at Scale
YOW! 2016 Conference
Melbourne December 1-2 ~ Brisbane December 5-6
Sydney December 8-9
Bernadette Hyland
CEO & co-founder
3 Round Stones, Inc.
@BernHyland
bhyland@3RoundStones.com

2. @BernHyland

3. @BernHyland

4. Some data is
expensive to
collect …
@BernHyland

5. @BernHyland

6. Data on the Web today
@BernHyland

7. Lack of Context
credit: http://mhausenblas.info

8. Required Context
credit: http://mhausenblas.info

9. Linked data is
intentionally for reuse

10. Refers to a set of best practices for publishing and
interlinking data for access by both humans and
machines.
The RDF family of syntaxes (e.g., JSON-LD, N3, Turtle)
and HTTP URIs.
Linked Data
@BernHyland

11. Linked Data can be published by a person
or organization behind the firewall or on the
public Web.
Linked Data published on the public Web is
generally called Linked Open Data.
- W3C Linked Data Glossary
@BernHyland

12. Something
Something
else
a relationship
@BernHyland

13. UQ Universityis a
@BernHyland

14. UQ
The University of
Queensland
label
Universityis a
Group of 8
affiliation
@BernHyland

15. UQ
The University of
Queensland
label
affiliation
Group of 8
34228
number of undergraduate students
48771
number of students
@BernHyland

16. credit: http://json-ld.org/

17. credit: https://callimachusproject.org

18. # G8 universities ordered by the number of students
# at each university.
PREFIX dbo:<http://dbpedia.org/ontology/>
select ?name ?students ?undergrads
where {
?s dbo:affiliation <http://dbpedia.org/resource/
Group_of_Eight_(Australian_universities)> .
?s rdfs:label ?name .
OPTIONAL {?s dbo:numberOfStudents ?students}
OPTIONAL {?s dbo:numberOfUndergraduateStudents ?
undergrads}
FILTER ( lang(?name) = "en" )
} ORDER BY DESC (?students)
@BernHyland

19. # G8 universities ordered by the number of students
# at each university.
PREFIX dbo:<http://dbpedia.org/ontology/>
select ?name ?students ?undergrads
where {
?s dbo:affiliation <http://dbpedia.org/resource/
Group_of_Eight_(Australian_universities)> .
?s rdfs:label ?name .
OPTIONAL {?s dbo:numberOfStudents ?students}
OPTIONAL {?s dbo:numberOfUndergraduateStudents ?
undergrads}
FILTER ( lang(?name) = "en" )
} ORDER BY DESC (?students)
@BernHyland

20. # G8 universities ordered by the number of students
# at each university.
PREFIX dbo:<http://dbpedia.org/ontology/>
select ?name ?students ?undergrads
where {
?s dbo:affiliation <http://dbpedia.org/resource/
Group_of_Eight_(Australian_universities)> .
?s rdfs:label ?name .
OPTIONAL {?s dbo:numberOfStudents ?students}
OPTIONAL {?s dbo:numberOfUndergraduateStudents ?
undergrads}
FILTER ( lang(?name) = "en" )
} ORDER BY DESC (?students)
@BernHyland

21. # G8 universities ordered by the number of students
# at each university.
PREFIX dbo:<http://dbpedia.org/ontology/>
select ?name ?students ?undergrads
where {
?s dbo:affiliation <http://dbpedia.org/resource/
Group_of_Eight_(Australian_universities)> .
?s rdfs:label ?name .
OPTIONAL {?s dbo:numberOfStudents ?students}
OPTIONAL {?s dbo:numberOfUndergraduateStudents ?
undergrads}
FILTER ( lang(?name) = "en" )
} ORDER BY DESC (?students)
@BernHyland

22. # G8 universities ordered by the number of students
# at each university.
PREFIX dbo:<http://dbpedia.org/ontology/>
select ?name ?students ?undergrads
where {
?s dbo:affiliation <http://dbpedia.org/resource/
Group_of_Eight_(Australian_universities)> .
?s rdfs:label ?name .
OPTIONAL {?s dbo:numberOfStudents ?students}
OPTIONAL {?s dbo:numberOfUndergraduateStudents ?
undergrads}
FILTER ( lang(?name) = "en" )
} ORDER BY DESC (?students)
@BernHyland

23. # G8 universities ordered by the number of students
# at each university.
PREFIX dbo:<http://dbpedia.org/ontology/>
select ?name ?students ?undergrads
where {
?s dbo:affiliation <http://dbpedia.org/resource/
Group_of_Eight_(Australian_universities)> .
?s rdfs:label ?name .
OPTIONAL {?s dbo:numberOfStudents ?students}
OPTIONAL {?s dbo:numberOfUndergraduateStudents ?
undergrads}
FILTER ( lang(?name) = "en" )
} ORDER BY DESC (?students)
@BernHyland

24. # G8 universities ordered by the number of students
# at each university.
PREFIX dbo:<http://dbpedia.org/ontology/>
select ?name ?students ?undergrads
where {
?s dbo:affiliation <http://dbpedia.org/resource/
Group_of_Eight_(Australian_universities)> .
?s rdfs:label ?name .
OPTIONAL {?s dbo:numberOfStudents ?students}
OPTIONAL {?s dbo:numberOfUndergraduateStudents ?
undergrads}
FILTER ( lang(?name) = "en" )
} ORDER BY DESC (?students)
@BernHyland

25. # G8 universities ordered by the number of students
# at each university.
PREFIX dbo:<http://dbpedia.org/ontology/>
select ?name ?students ?undergrads
where {
?s dbo:affiliation <http://dbpedia.org/resource/
Group_of_Eight_(Australian_universities)> .
?s rdfs:label ?name .
OPTIONAL {?s dbo:numberOfStudents ?students}
OPTIONAL {?s dbo:numberOfUndergraduateStudents ?
undergrads}
FILTER ( lang(?name) = "en" )
} ORDER BY DESC (?students)
@BernHyland

26. @BernHyland

27. my data
collector
collected by
measurement
Michael
first name
Hausenblaslast name
Person
a
a measurement
2011-01-01
date
0
value
units of measure
degrees
Centigrade
...
Galway Airport
collected at
or
Linked Data on the Web
@BernHyland

28. “Linked Data was part of my initial vision for the
Web and is an important part of the Web’s
future. The Web took off as a web of hyperlinked
documents which were exciting to read, but
which could not be effectively used as data.
“Linked Data was part of my initial vision for the Web
and is an important part of the Web’s future.The Web
took off as a web of hyperlinked documents which
were exciting to read, but which could not be
effectively used as data.”
- Tim Berners-Lee

29. “Linked Data was part of my initial vision for the
Web and is an important part of the Web’s
future. The Web took off as a web of hyperlinked
documents which were exciting to read, but
which could not be effectively used as data.
The Semantic Web morphed when it hit
the marketplace

31. Governments & NGOs
publishing & consuming Linked Data

32. 07 Nov 2007

33. 10 Nov 2007

34. 28 Feb 2008

35. 31 Mar 2008

36. 18 Sep 2008

37. 05 Mar 2009

38. 27 Mar 2009

39. 14 Jul 2009

40. 22 Sep 2009

41. 22 Sep 2010

44. • Widens EPA’s audience (justifies relevance), for
research, environmental justice
• More cost-effective than relational backed web
portals
• Used for scientific R&D, green chemistry, ++
• Increased transparency
https://opendata.epa.gov
@BernHyland

45. 7 Steps to Publish Linked Data
Source: W3C Best Practices for Publishing Linked Data, see https://www.w3.org/TR/ld-bp/

46. Step #1 - Identify
Identify the dataset(s) to be modeled
• Request a copy of the logical and physical model of the
database(s)
• Obtain data extracts (i.e., databases and/or
spreadsheets) or create data in a way that can be
replicated.
@BernHyland

47. Step #2 - Model Data
Model data without context to allow for reuse and
easier merging of data sets
• Traditional DBAs organize data for specified
Web services or applications
• In Linked Data, application logic does not drive
the data schema, concepts, etc
@BernHyland

48. Step #2 - Modeling (cont)
Look for real world objects of interest (e.g., people, places,
things, locations, etc.) and model them.
• Investigate how others are already modeling similar or
related data.
• Look for duplication & normalize the data
• Use common sense to decide whether or not to make
link
@BernHyland

49. • Connect data from different sources & authoritative
vocabularies
• Use URIs as names for your objects
• Put aside immediate needs of any application
• Don’t think about how an application will use your data
• Do think about time and how the data will change over
time.
Step #2 - Modeling (cont)
@BernHyland

50. Identifiers are at the heart of how things
become useful as linked data.
We use the same mechanism for connecting
data as the Web — the humble HTTP URI
The Web is formed by HTTP URIs that are
essentially connections linking pieces of
information together.
Step #3 & 4
Name & Describe
@BernHyland

51. 5. Write a script or process to convert the data set
repeatedly
6. Publish to the Web and announce it!
7. Maintenance strategy
Steps #5, 6 & 7
Convert, Publish & Maintain
@BernHyland

52. Take an iterative approach
1. Review of modeling decisions
2. Review vocabularies chosen and developed
3. Modify/update data conversion scripts
4. Do a maintenance walk-through with real use cases
5. Show how to explore data with SPARQL and
visualizations
6. Discuss a persistent identifier strategy (think PURLs)
@BernHyland

53. @BernHyland

54. @BernHyland

55. Technical DNA of EPA
Linked Data Services
• Built on Open Source Software
• Provides downloadable Linked Open Data (RDF,
JSON-LD)
• Developer guide includes RESTful API, persistent
URLs strategy
• Sample apps on GitHub (https://github.com/
USEPA)
@BernHyland

56. Power of LOD
Combining data sets
in a day with Linked Open
Data from DBpedia &
EPA.
Next the EPA wanted
more chemical data
linked to their data…
@BernHyland

57. Specialist knowledge as Linked Open Data
@BernHyland

58. PubChem, the world’s
largest open molecular
database
Used by healthcare /
life sciences industry
worldwide - all Linked
Open Data
@BernHyland

59. Use of shared
vocabularies, including
SKOS, RDFS, OWL.
Other key vocabularies
include Dublin Core,
Geo, FOAF, ORG, Vcard
are the “lingua franca” of
data interoperability

60. https://opendata.epa.gov
@BernHyland

61. Public
Application, Script or automated client
Web Browser
SPARQL endpointREST APIResource URIs
Linked Data management system
located at a Tier 1 Cloud Provider
(FISMA compliant)
RDF Database
Registered developer
@BernHyland

62. • A worldwide system of linked information systems
• Global addressing scheme for data integration that scales to the
Web
• Nearly immediate data integration to billions of facts
Linked Data is a gift …
@BernHyland

63. http://LinkedDataDeveloper.com
@BernHyland

64. http://www.oreilly.com/data/free/
files/the-global-impact-of-open-
data.pdf
@BernHyland

65. How do I get started?
https://www.w3.org/TR/ld-bp/

66. https://www.w3.org/2012/ldp/charter
Enterprise data interoperability

67. Use your super powers
for good!
@WhoGiveACrapTP

68. http://w3id.org/people/bernhyland/
presentations
Twitter: @BernHyland
Email. bhyland@3roundstones.com