FINDING DATA ON LINE
• An increasing number of governments are all
levels are putting data on line
• Those databases come in all shapes and sizes
• The betting might be that journalists lack the
time and expertise to make sense of it
• We must prove destroy that assumption
WHY WORK WITH DATA ONLINE
• Produces original stories that our competitors
may not have
• More original stories, fewer encounters with
assignment editors
• Data ads context
• Allows audiences to interact
• Gives us quick reference points when stories
break
• Allows us to do a better job following money
WHAT TOOLS DO YOU NEED
• General knowledge of data: its strengths and
weaknesses
• Abandon your fear of numbers
• Developing simple math skills: adding,
subtracting, ratios, etc.
• Good knowledge of Excel; database managers;
Mapping software; data-visualization tools
SOME EXAMPLES OF OPEN DATA SITES
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Edmonton
http://data.edmonton.ca/
Halifax’s Open Data Catalogue
https://www.halifaxopendata.ca/
Ottawa
http://app06.ottawa.ca/en/city_hall/statisticsdata/opendata/info/index.htm
Toronto
http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=1a66e03bb8d1e310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD
Vancouver
http://data.vancouver.ca/
BC
http://www.openinfo.gov.bc.ca/ibc/index.page?
http://www.data.gov.bc.ca/
Ontario
http://www.ontario.ca/government/open-data-ontario
Open Data Pilot Project (federal government)
http://www.data.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En
World Development Indicators (The World Bank)
http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/world-development-indicators?cid=GPD_WDI
Québec Ouvert (les données ouvertes pour le Québec)
http://quebecouvert.org/
Toronto restaurant inspections
DINESAFE
DineSafe
DINESAFE DATA
MAPPING NASTY RESTAURANTS
DINESAFE APP
Elections
• Elections Canada
http://www.elections.ca/scripts/webpep/fin/sele
ct_sear
• Elections Ontario
http://www.elections.on.ca/enCA/Tools/FinancialStatementsandContributions/R
ealTimeDisclosure.htmch_option.aspx
• Quebec political contributions
http://www.electionsquebec.qc.ca/francais/provi
ncial/financement-et-depenseselectorales/recherche-sur-les-donateurs.php#
ONTARIO
The data website
The data
QUEBEC
The website
The data
The data_part two
National data sets
• Open Data Pilot Project (federal government)
http://www.data.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En
• Arms Exports
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrkti/tdst/tdo/tdo.php#tag
• Canadian charities (Canada Revenue Agency)
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/chrts-gvng/lstngs/menu-eng.html
• Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System
(CADORS): Main Menu
• http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/CADORSSCREAQ/m.aspx?lang=eng
• Sunlight Foundation Tools and Projects
http://sunlightfoundation.com/tools/
Tracking lobbying dollars in the U.S.
INFLUENCE EXPLORER
OPEN SECRETS
International datasets
• Datacatalogs.org (a comprehensive list of open data catalogs currated by
experts from around the world)
http://datacatalogs.org/
• National Transportation Safety Board inventory of databases
http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/databases.html
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/
• The FDA's Adverse Drug Reaction Database
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/S
urveillance/AdverseDrugEffects/ucm082193.htm
• MAUDE - Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience
• http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfmaude/search.cfm
• U.S. Department of LABOUR (Occupational Safety & Health
Administration)
http://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/establishment.html
• http://ogesdw.dol.gov/data_catalogs
• http://ogesdw.dol.gov/data_summary.php
THE STORY
Federal government studying $30 billion counterfeit
market
Public Safety Canada is attempting to gauge the size of Canada's black market, with recent estimates
valuing counterfeit trade at $30 billion.
Save to M ystar
By: Alex Boutilier Staff Reporter, Published on Fri Nov 01 2013
EXPLORE THIS STORY
2 COMMENTS
OTTAWA—The federal government is attempting to more accurately gauge the size of Canada’s black
market for pirated and counterfeit goods, which recent estimates value at more than $30 billion a
year.
Public Safety Canada is commissioning a study to assess current methods used to estimate the
amount of counterfeit and pirated goods in Canada.
In a document posted Friday, the department explained the end goal of the exercise is to recommend
new methods to collect data and track illicit trade.
“There were several past attempts to estimate the size of the market for counterfeit and pirated
goods. No single method has been applied across all industries to calculate reliable estimates,” the
department noted.
“The illicit nature of the counterfeit and piracy trade makes it extremely difficult to obtain reliable
estimates of the size of trade.”
WHERE IT CAME FROM
• Buyandsell.gc.ca
• https://buyandsell.gc.ca/procurementdata/tenders/download-tenders-data
The Excel table
THE COUNTERFEIT REFERENCE
http://www.ontario.ca/government/opendata-ontario
PUBLIC ACCOUNTS
PUBLIC ACCOUNTS
STUDENT DEBT