★ | Available on the Web (whatever format) but with an open licence, to be Open Data |
★★ | Available as machine-readable structured data (e.g. excel instead of image scan of a table) |
★★★ | as (2) plus non-proprietary format (e.g. CSV instead of Excel) |
★★★★ | All the above plus, Use open standards from W3C (RDF and SPARQL) to identify things, so that people can point at your stuff |
★★★★★ | All the above, plus: Link your data to other people’s data to provide context |
Usually means PDF, or worse, a screenshot of something.
You need to be a (sighted) human to access the information.
CSV* is King:
* Comma Separated Variables
An excellent example of what can be done with 3 star data.
SHA PCT PRACTICE BNF CODE BNF NAME ITEMS NIC ACT COST QUANTITY PERIOD Q30 5D7 A86003 0101010G0AAABAB Co-Magaldrox_Susp 195mg/220mg/5ml S/F 18 52.24 48.71 10000 201206 Q30 5D7 A86003 0101010N0AAAAAA Antacid/Oxetacaine_Oral Susp S/F 1 97.42 89.77 300 201206 Q30 5D7 A86003 0101010R0AAABAB Simeticone_Susp 40mg/ml S/F 2 4.9 4.58 100 201206 Q30 5D7 A86003 0101021B0AAAHAH Gppe Liq_Gaviscon S/F 2 4.45 4.17 1000 201206 Q30 5D7 A86003 0101021B0AAALAL Sod Algin/Pot Bicarb_Susp (Aniseed) S/F 3 11.8 10.97 1300 201206 Q30 5D7 A86003 0101021B0BCAAAC Gastrocote_Tab 2 14.04 13 400 201206 Q30 5D7 A86003 0101021B0BEADAJ Gaviscon Infant_Sach 2g (Dual Pack) S/F 6 65.78 60.79 330 201206 Q30 5D7 A86003 0101021B0BEAIAL Gaviscon Advance_Liq (Aniseed) S/F 14 85.8 79.49 9450 201206 Q30 5D7 A86003 0101021B0BEAKAQ Gaviscon Advance_Liq (Peppermint) S/F 11 55.76 51.71 5850 201206 Q30 5D7 A86003 0101021B0BEAQAP Gaviscon Advance_Tab Chble 500mg Mint 4 21.76 20.17 480 201206
http://business.data.gov.uk/id/company/04285910
<rdf:RDF xmlns:cs0="http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/terms/" xmlns:foaf="http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/" xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"> <rdf:Description rdf:about="http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/04285910#RegAddress"> <cs0:Postcode>CO11 1UN</cs0:Postcode> <cs0:County>MANNINGTREE ESSEX</cs0:County> <cs0:AddressLine2>DALE HALL INDUSTRIAL ESTATE</cs0:AddressLine2> <cs0:PostTown>LAWFORD</cs0:PostTown> <cs0:AddressLine1>17 RIVERSIDE AVE WEST</cs0:AddressLine1> </rdf:Description> <rdf:Description rdf:about="http://business.data.gov.uk/id/company/04285910"> <cs0:IncorporationDate>12/09/2001</cs0:IncorporationDate> <cs0:Returns rdf:resource="http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/04285910#Returns"/> <cs0:CompanyName>APPLE BINDING LTD</cs0:CompanyName> <cs0:SICCodes rdf:resource="http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/04285910#SICCodes"/> <cs0:Address rdf:resource="http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/04285910#RegAddress"/> <cs0:Accounts rdf:resource="http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/04285910#Accounts"/> <cs0:CompanyNumber>04285910</cs0:CompanyNumber> <cs0:CompanyStatus>Active</cs0:CompanyStatus> <cs0:CountryOfOrigin>United Kingdom</cs0:CountryOfOrigin> <cs0:CompanyCategory>Private Limited Company</cs0:CompanyCategory> </rdf:Description> … </rdf:RDF>
Why is http://business.data.gov.uk/id/company/04285910
better than
SHA PCT PRACTICE BNF CODE BNF NAME ITEMS NIC ACT COST QUANTITY PERIOD Q30 5D7 A86003 0101010G0AAABAB Co-Magaldrox_Susp 195mg/220mg/5ml S/F 18 52.24 48.71 10000 201206
Why is http://business.data.gov.uk/id/company/04285910
better than
SHA PCT PRACTICE BNF CODE BNF NAME ITEMS NIC ACT COST QUANTITY PERIOD Q30 5D7 A86003 0101010G0AAABAB Co-Magaldrox_Susp 195mg/220mg/5ml S/F 18 52.24 48.71 10000 201206
(Because you can look it up; because you can refer to a URI in any context, unlike 'Q30' which only means something in a specific context).
Here is a picture.
Current Web site soon to be retired