Is there are a theory, division, classification or taxonomy schema for open data? With classes like "fiscal" and "utility".

Explaining and illustrating

Perhaps "utility" (or "public utility" or day by day util data) is not the correct term... I will try to explain: public utility open data are the input for innovation and improving the quality, of private and public services. Some examples show better the concept:

  • Postcodes: all people need, all the time we need the same database... So, it is util for us. The open data is the list of all postcodes of a country.
  • Data Packaged Core Datasets: each dataset (of this project) is a set of util data.
  • Words: all people need... The open data is the list of all words, or any other more complex structure like a dictionary.
  • Digital street lines: OSM has a repo with "very util data" (!).

"Fiscal data" perhaps, also, is not the correct term (perhaps audit is a better name), but some examples show the concept:

Of course, a dataset can be both, "util" and "fiscal", so in a classification schema they are like "root facets".


Historically OpenData activism started as "fiscal" (with activists working in data scraping for audit the data)... Today Open Data community also is investing in cleansing, organize and standardize util data, for open collective/collaborative use.

  • wand taxonomy is utility but its proprietary :( – albert Jul 8 '15 at 17:58
  • @albert, "Wand taxonomy" is a good clue ;-) Another clue, a friend showed an illustration with a kind of "open government hierarchy of needs", grouping the pyramidal layers in A and B, with A=Services+Process+Data, and B=Collaboration+Participation+Transparency... So, A is the "utility" (internal) part, and B is the "fiscal" (external) part. Need adaptations: this question is not about only-gov-data, but also data that can be used directally by all community members. – Peter Krauss Jul 8 '15 at 20:21
  • Another clue for "util data". France is debating the concept of “public interest data” — datasets held by the private sector whose publication would serve the public interest... See etalab.gouv.fr questionary – Peter Krauss Jul 9 '15 at 9:57

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