The University of Southampton has released a range of non-personal data online as part of its pioneering commitment to the open data revolution. The recently launched
data.southampton.ac.uk builds on the University's commitment to access by opening up a wide range of data for students to create the information they seek in the way that they want it, such as the development of iPhone apps.
There will be over 20 datasets available on data.southampton.ac.uk with information about University buildings, National Student Survey statistics, research outputs and financial statements. Over the coming year, the University will progressively increase the bank of data available. Much of the development work for the new site has been carried out by Christopher Gutteridge and Dave Challis of the ECS Systems team, building on an initiative begun in the School some years ago by Dr Nick Gibbins.
The University is making the data available under an open licence, from a single point of access and in a standard format - this gives anyone permission to use and reuse the data.
As well as students, the information can be used by anyone to create new apps and services that will be of benefit to the University, its staff, students, visitors and the city of Southampton. The University has already created apps such as an iPhone app to showcase its 2011 Undergraduate prospectus and give further details into life at the University.
For the past 10 years, the University of Southampton has been a pioneer in Open Access to research. In 2001 it was the first place in the world to mandate that all its academics should place their research papers online. Since 2009 Professor Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Professor Nigel Shadbolt have been leading the data.gov.uk project, and are key members of the current government's transparency initiative.
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