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Open Data: Introduction to Open Data

Offers an overview of resources for those using open data sets for computational research across disciplines.

Introduction to Open Data

Welcome to the Open Data research guide at Fordham University Libraries. Open data is used in a range of academic disciplines to offer insights about the world including Science & Technology fields, Business & Economics, Journalism, Education, Social Work, Political Science, Humanitarian Studies, Urban Studies, History, and more. This guide aims to assist Fordham researchers with understanding the open research data landscape, from finding data for computational research to exploring digital tools and research methods.

  • If you have questions about finding a particular open data set or have general questions, contact one of the librarians listed on this page for assistance.

 

cautionThis guide is currently under revision. Please check back for updates.

What is Open Data?

SPARC defines Open Data as research data that:

  1. Is freely available on the internet;
  2. Permits any user to download, copy, analyze, re-process, pass to software or use for any other purpose; and
  3. Is without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself.

For more information, see "Open Data." SPARC. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://sparcopen.org/open-data/.

Introductory Handbooks & Resources

Open Data Terminology

Machine readable? API? Shapefile? CSV? JSON? RDF? XML?

→ Try the resources below to learn the terminology of open data and computational research:

Selected Books

Reference & Instruction Department

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