ONS and Linked Data

Using the semantic webto link geography and statistics

“Location is the connective tissue of open data” – Sir Nigel Shadbolt

“Everything happens somewhere” – UK Location Strategy

Why do we need linked data

Ordnance Survey(National Mapping Agency)

Office for National Statistics(National Statistical Institute)

National Records Scotland(National Statistical Institute)

NI Land and Property Services(National Mapping Agency)

NI Statistics and Research Agency(National Statistical Institute)

Department for Communities and Local Government

Department for Business,Innovation and Skills

Department for Transport

Department for  Environment,Forestry and Rural Affairs

Experian

Equifax

CACI

Local Government Association

Why do we need linked data

What is the difference between the age classifications 

• 0 to 5 • 0‐5 • 0 – 5

What is linked data

http://location.gov.uk/England/Cities/London

http://location.gov.uk/geography/Capital#hascapitalcity

http://location.gov.uk/England/Countries/UnitedKingdom

subject

predicate

object

TRIPLE

Tell me everything you know about London

Tell me everything you know about the United Kingdom

Tell me every capital city

Open Data

Put your data on the web (any format)

Link your data to other people’s data

Make it available as structured data (csv)

Use open standard formats (XML, RDF)

Use URIs to identify things

Background• 2 year project to develop a linked data system 

• Create a geographic framework that statistics can be linked in to

• Take data that is currently in different products and link it together into one system

• Use URIs so that the data can be published directly to the internet

• Link our data to data from other organisations

Triplestore

GIS Server‐ published products‐ product maintenance

published products

API API

GIS to

ols

Data Explorer Product Explorer

3rd party application

ONS

EXTERN

AL

clientclient client

Linked Data System

Completed Tasks• A linked data supplier (TSO) was appointed in the first open procurement of a 

linked data solution

• Translation scripts for converting CSV files to linked data were developed in Python as it is open source and used existing skills within the organisation

• Code History product, boundaries and lookups were converted to linked data

• The RDF files were loaded into the triplestore (linked data solution) using a secure FTP site

• An existing Linked Data API was put over the top of the data but configured to include ONS branding

• Developed of a front‐end explorer tool was handed to the contractor to develop

‐

CSV files

Python

RDF

System Usage

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Visits

Visitsusertesting

systemlaunch

Twitter

?

Central Government

9%

Local Government

37%

Academia34%

Private Sector10%

Other10%

Organisations

OS Postcodes

ONS Geographies

DCLG Deprivation

Ian CoadyGeography Policy and Research ManagerTel: 01329 447897  E‐Mail: ian.coady@ons.gov.uk

@iancoady

ANY QUESTIONS???

uk.linkedin.com/pub/ian‐coady/11/425/423

http://statistics.data.gov.uk