Back to Search Start Over

Streamlining Canadian parliamentary data access: A user-friendly R package.

Authors :
Millette, Alexandre
Source :
PLoS ONE; 7/25/2024, Vol. 19 Issue 7, p1-19, 19p
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

This paper focuses on the methodological and empirical challenges researchers encounter when accessing government open data through the case study of Canada's Open Government Action Plan, with a specific emphasis on datasets hosted by the House of Commons. To address these challenges, we have created an R package designed to streamline the retrieval process of datasets, that are not-so-user-friendly, from the House of Commons website. Furthermore, we have made complete datasets available in both French and English, which are the official languages of Canada, and in multiple formats to improve accessibility. Our package aims to be an invaluable resource for researchers interested in Canadian politics or conducting comparative research. Therefore, a portion of this paper is allocated to showcase the potential utility of our package. Through our research, we highlighted three crucial lessons: firstly, the heterogeneous nature of datasets requires flexibility and adaptability; secondly, open data curators encounter various challenges in addressing user-reported issues; and thirdly, there is a nuanced understanding of "openness" in government datasets. In conclusion, we reflect on the potential scalability of open data initiatives while advocating for a nuanced approach that considers the complex challenges associated with open data accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
19326203
Volume :
19
Issue :
7
Database :
Complementary Index
Journal :
PLoS ONE
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
178650626
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0302457