Federal data stewards face many challenges in collecting and publishing their agencies’ data, ranging from issues of data quality and timeliness to the need for data privacy protection. This section provides general guidance on best practices, and relevant examples, based on extensive input from the federal data community.
Objectives: Ensure data quality and value when data is collected through satellites, sensors, surveys, or by other means
Suggested Approaches: Focus on quality at the time of data collection; Eliminate manual data entry; Use consumers and volunteers as data sources
Featured Examples: E-Filing Incentives
Read MoreObjectives: Safeguard individual privacy and confidentiality while providing data with enough detail to support in-depth analysis
Suggested Approaches: Restricted access; De-Identification; New technical approaches; Coordinating data governance structures; Building trust with the community
Featured Examples: Precision Medicine Initiative
Read MoreObjectives: Facilitate data use by improving accuracy, machine-readability, timeliness of information
Suggested Approaches: Develop user feedback systems; Use challenges and competitions; Use crowdsourcing
Featured Examples: DATA Act Broker; HHS Demand-Driven Open Data
Read MoreObjectives: Share federal data more openly with the public, even when the data is imperfect, with enough contextual information to facilitate its use
Suggested Approaches: Release both raw and improved data; Employ user-focused communication strategies; Release individuals’ data back to them
Featured Examples: MyData Initiatives
Read MoreObjectives: Develop and apply data standards early and throughout the data lifecycle, and explore other approaches to improving interoperability
Suggested Approaches: Use common data standards and taxonomies; Develop data layers to encourage greater interoperability
Featured Examples: NIEM; DAIMS
Read MoreObjectives: Use collaborative digital services and teams within the Federal Government to help agencies achieve their goals
Featured Examples: 18F; U.S. Digital Service; NTIS Joint Venture Program; The Opportunity Project
Read MoreObjectives: Make data collected through scientific research freely available to all
Suggested Approaches: Require data sharing as a condition of funding; Use new incentives to promote research data sharing; Develop collaborations and outreach to collect, manage, and publish data
Featured Examples: Study of Environmental Arctic Change; BRAIN Initiative; NIH Commons
Read MoreObjectives: Engage businesses and nonprofit organizations to build collaborations that benefit both the private sector and government, by contributing services, data, or other resources
Suggested Approaches: Multi-company collaborations; Private sector data sharing
Featured Examples: NOAA Big Data Project; Partnership for Resilience and Preparedness; NIH Accelerating Medicines Partnership
Read MoreObjectives: Develop communities of practice around open data that include stakeholders both within and outside of government
Suggested Approaches: Use different ways to identify user communities and measure data use; Consider using citizen science; Explore using civic hackathons and challenges
Featured Examples: HHS Opioid Code-a-Thon; USDA Innovation Challenge
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