Put in your postcode, out comes the data: A case study

Abstract

A single datum or a set of a categorical data has little value on its own. Combinations of disparate sets of data increase the value of those data sets and helps to discover interesting patterns or relationships, facilitating the construction of new applications and services. In this paper, we describe an implementation of using open geographical data as a core set of \join point"(s) to mesh di_erent public datasets. We describe the challenges faced during the implementation, which include, sourcing the datasets, publishing them as linked data, and normalizing these linked data in terms of _nding the appropriate \join points" from the individual datasets, as well as developing the client application used for data consumption. We describe the design decisions and our solutions to these challenges.We conclude by drawing some general principles from this work.