Users struggling ‘to make sense’ of open data

Despite a significant increase in focus on opening up public sector data by the current government, most people are struggling to make sense of the newly accessible information.

This is according to a study by data integration software vendor Informatica, which found that 68% of UK consumers do not believe open data initiatives, such as Data.gov.uk and government spending tracker Coins, provide any real value to them.

Additionally, nearly two-thirds (59%) of survey respondents claimed that they did not trust the available data sets.

“If not managed correctly, these complex government data sets, packed full of information that needs to be updated in real time to maintain their accuracy and value, simply present a sluggish and frustrating experience for users,” said Charles Race, vice president for Northern Europe at Informatica.

Peter Done

Peter Done is managing director of Peninsula Business Services, the personnel and employment law consultancy he set up having already built a successful betting shop business.

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