Data.gov’s deputy program director at GSA, Hyon Kim, has posted an overview to DigitalGov.gov covering the process for agencies to follow to port their datasets over to the government’s growing repository.
Agencies must prepare enterprise data inventories in JSON format and post them on their websites (agency.gov/data.json), pursuant to the Open Data Policy as well as guidance and toolsavailable on Project Open Data, explains Kim. She also notes that Data.gov features a tool (at inventory.data.gov) that can be used to assist in creating data inventories.
After validating the JSON, GSA directs its Data.gov team to set up a process for harvesting it, usually daily. Data.gov currently has 21 Topics on issues such as agriculture, climate, education and public safety. Topics have community leaders that tag the data, but according to Kim work is taking place to streamline this process.
She added that once data sets are posted to the Data.gov catalog they areaccessible through the website’s CKAN user interface. The Data.gov catalog is also available through the Data.gov CKAN API.