Open data is data that is available for use without legal restrictions, and under an open license, for its use and exploitation. These data may be public or those that their owners have decided to leave without restrictions for their use. Normally these data are published in formats that allow easy use and reuse. Some of the most common open data formats are:
- CSV (Comma Separated Values): is a type of plain text document to represent tabulated data in columns separated by commas (or semicolons) and rows separated by line breaks.
- XML (Extensible Tagged Language): is the standard used for the exchange of structured information between different platforms.
- JSON (Javascript Object Notation): it is a simple and light format for data exchange, easy to read and interpret by people and simple to be analyzed and generated by machines.
However, public data cannot always be used in a simple way, and in general they are difficult to integrate, generating different representations under similar contexts.
Data Observatory works in the area of open data, developing mechanisms that allow easy access and reuse, promoting their accessibility for researchers and the general public in a simple and expedite manner.