CKAN: the Horizon for Data.gov 2.0
Recently, we marked another milestone in Data.gov’s evolution. Members of the Open Knowledge Foundation met in Washington, D.C., with the Data.gov team and Federal Agencies to discuss the next iteration of Data.gov.
Within months, Data.gov will see major enhancements around its data catalog, how the data is managed and the ease with which the data can be used. The most obvious change visitors will find is a single catalog that combines Data.gov and Geo.Data.gov. For the first time, nongeospatial datasets and geospatial datasets will be in one place. You’ll also find improved search capabilities, with a broader reach across the Executive Branch. Thanks to “Data.gov 2.0” code’s incorporation into the Open Government Platform (OGPL), Data.gov will be even more open and compatible with sites around the world as well.
These new features are due to the software that will support Data.gov’s data management: CKAN. CKAN is an open-source data management system used around the world, including by the United Kingdom (U.K.) and by Europe’s brand new open-data site. Its developer, the U.K.-based Open Knowledge Foundation, is a nonprofit that works with people worldwide to promote increased transparency and engagement, in part through making CKAN available for open data sites.
A launch of the new and improved Data.gov is planned for later this spring.
