Presentation given by Simon Tanner to the @FreeUKGen conference, 25th January 2015.

1. @SimonTanner
The Benefits and Value of
Opening up Data from a
Community and Funding
Perspective
Simon Tanner
Digital Humanities,
King’s College London
Twitter: @SimonTanner
30/01/2016 10:04 ENC Public Talk 19 February 2013 1

2. Wawel Cathedral, Poland

6. www.kcl.ac.uk/ddh/
@kingsdh

7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp4y-_VoXdA
Digital Humanities methods for historical analysis of
Irish Immigrants in 19th Century London, England

8. Reason 1:
setting data free
makes us mighty
3 Reasons to say YES to Open Data
@SimonTanner

9. Reason 2:
more democratic
and sustainable
3 Reasons to say YES to Open Data
@SimonTanner

10. Reason 3:
Random Acts
of Kindness
3 Reasons to say YES to Open Data
@SimonTanner

12. http://www.oldweather.org/

13. http://blog.oldweather.org/2012/09/05/

17. Matchbox submitted
to The Great War
Archive
This item is from The Great War Archive, University of Oxford (www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/gwa);
© MAUREEN ROGERS
George Cavan was a
Company Sergeant Major
in the Glasgow
Highlanders
He lived with his family,
his wife Jean and 3
daughters, in the Drill
Hall in Carluke, Scotland.
While away at training camp the orders came through to dispatch to
France. The train he was on with his troops went through his home
station but did not stop there
Website: www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/gwa

18. George threw out
onto the platform a
matchbox containing
a note to his family
On one side: the name of
his wife and on the other:
his message
Someone picked up the
matchbox and delivered
it to the family
This item is from The Great War Archive, University of Oxford (www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/gwa);
© MAUREEN ROGERS
George Cavan was killed just a few days after arriving at the front in
France on the 13th April, 1918. He lies in an unmarked grave but is
commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial.
Website: www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/gwa

19. Public contributors
uploaded 3,500 digital objects
to website in 4 months
The project uploaded 600 items
(about 3,000 digital objects) from
5 submissions days
Public contributions to
The Great War Archive
Over 6,500 items
collected March-June
2008, 60% submitted by
the public direct through
our website
Website: www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/gwa
2,750
3,500
600
A Flickr group
continues to
collect items
Costs per item:
First World War
Poetry Digital Archive
cost £40.00 / item
The Great War Archive
cost £3.50 / item

20. @SimonTanner
Multiplying your benefits = funding

21. Volunteer benefits high = funding
Shetland Isles Museum and Archives
http://photos.shetland-museum.org.uk/
Volunteers trained to very high
explicit skill levels
Extremely high community
engagement
Task achieved but its success was
defined by the community not
just the museum
@SimonTanner

24. Why Open Data?
“If you have
knowledge,
let others light
their candles
with it.”
@SimonTanner