Data.gov

Data.gov
Name	Data.gov
Type	Open data portal
Language	English
Registration	Optional
Owner	United States Government
Author	Federal Chief Information Officers Council
Launch date	May 21, 2009
Current status	Active

Data.gov. It is the open data portal of the United States Government, providing public access to high-value, machine-readable datasets generated by the executive branch. Launched in 2009, the platform operates under the principles of transparency, public participation, and collaboration, aiming to fuel innovation, research, and economic opportunity. Managed by the General Services Administration in partnership with the Office of Management and Budget, it serves as a central repository for information from hundreds of federal agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Overview

The primary mission is to increase public access to federal non-profit datasets that can be used by entrepreneurs, researchers, and policymakers to create new products and insights. It forms a key component of the Open Government Initiative launched by the Obama administration, emphasizing accountability and civic engagement. The portal is built on an open-source platform, CKAN, which is also used by other national data portals like data.gov.uk in the United Kingdom. By centralizing data from disparate sources such as the United States Census Bureau and the Environmental Protection Agency, it reduces barriers to information and supports the broader open data movement.

History and development

The site was officially launched on May 21, 2009, by the then Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra, following a directive in the Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government issued by President Barack Obama. Its creation was a direct response to growing demands for greater governmental transparency, influenced by similar efforts like the Freedom of Information Act. Initial development involved collaboration between the General Services Administration and various agency CIOs. The platform has undergone significant technical evolution, including a major redesign in 2013 to improve user experience and the adoption of metadata standards to enhance data discoverability, guided by policies from the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Data catalog and accessibility

The catalog hosts hundreds of thousands of datasets across diverse domains such as agriculture, climate, energy, and finance, contributed by agencies like the Department of Transportation and the United States Geological Survey. Datasets are typically released in machine-readable formats including CSV, JSON, and XML, and are often accessible via APIs for direct integration into applications. A key feature is the Federal Data Catalog, which uses the Project Open Data Metadata Schema to standardize descriptions. The site also provides tools and resources, linking to specialized portals like Geoplatform.gov for GIS data and HealthData.gov for healthcare information.

Impact and use cases

The availability of federal data has spurred innovation across multiple sectors, enabling the development of consumer applications, advanced academic research, and data-driven journalism. For instance, climate data from NOAA and NASA has been used by scientists studying global warming, while information from the Department of Labor has powered tools tracking employment trends. Notable projects leveraging this data include Zillow's use of housing data and various civic applications developed during hackathons like the National Day of Civic Hacking. The data has also been critical for oversight by organizations such as the Sunlight Foundation and for informing policy debates in Congress.

Governance and policies

Oversight is managed by the General Services Administration's Technology Transformation Services, with policy guidance from the Office of Management and Budget as outlined in the OPEN Government Data Act, which was passed as part of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018. This legislation mandates that federal data be made open by default, using standardized, non-proprietary formats. Governance involves interagency coordination through the Federal Chief Data Officers Council, which works to ensure data quality, privacy protection in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, and adherence to standards set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Related initiatives and integration

The platform is part of a global ecosystem of open government data and is interoperable with international efforts like the Open Government Partnership. It integrates with other U.S. government data resources, including USAspending.gov for federal expenditure data, Regulations.gov for docket information, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's public data sets. At the state and local level, it aligns with portals such as the California Open Data Portal and NYC Open Data. These integrations support broader initiatives like the Global Open Data Index and foster collaboration with international bodies such as the World Bank and the United Nations.

Category:Open data Category:United States federal government websites Category:Open government in the United States