Focus on the Open Data Engagement Fund - Addressing Open Data Quality Challenges in Transport/Mobility Catalogue

In this series, we are taking a closer look at some of our recent Engagement Fund 2023/2024 winners. This month, Sana Kiran and Markus Helfert of Maynooth University tell us about their project that dives into the intricate landscape of data quality challenges within open data sources, with a specific focus on the smart mobility domain (Transport Catalogue in the open data portal). Through an exhaustive real data set analysis, the project aims to shed light on the practical implications of these data quality challenges.

Unlocking the power of High-Quality Data for Smart Transport

Smart mobility systems rely on open data and high quality data for effective handling, transformation, and optimization of public transportation systems.  According to Ireland Open Data strategy 2023-2027, One of the open data principes is to ensure the high quality and current data, responsive to user’s needs. The true value of data can only be realized if it is fit for the intended purpose.

Why Does Data Quality Matter?

Imagine a city where reliable and accurate data reduces traffic congestion, improves public transportation, and provides commuters with real-time updates on their routes. Our most recent research project focuses on these critical data quality challenges within open data sources, particularly those that power the smart mobility sector.

Our Mission: Enhancing Data Quality

Improving data quality is a collaborative effort that requires input from stakeholders involved in dataset publication and use. Our mission is to establish guidelines for enhancing data quality by actively engaging with these stakeholders. This includes working closely with those responsible for publishing datasets to ensure accuracy and timeliness, as well as gathering feedback from the users of these datasets to understand their needs and challenges.

Current Progress and Findings

So far, we've examined 450 datasets from the transport catalogue of Ireland Open data portal, focusing on two critical aspects of data quality: accuracy and timeliness. Our findings highlight the critical importance of consistently updated and accurately represented data. Addressing these issues will greatly increase the usefulness and impact of open data in transportation planning and management.

Impacting Smart Mobility and Beyond

The project contributes to positive societal impacts by enabling better-informed government decision-making, and promoting transparency, which is one of the main aims of the open data initiative. By improving the quality and reliability of specific datasets crucial for transportation planning, our project ensures that government transportation companies and stakeholders receive accurate and up to date information.

Join Us in Shaping the Future

We are excited about the potential benefits of this project, including enhanced governmental transparency, data-driven decision-making, and trustworthiness.

We'd love to hear from you! If you have any questions, feedback, or would like to collaborate with us on improving data quality for smart mobility, please get in touch with us. Contact us at sana.kiran.2023@mumail.ie or markus.helfert@mu.ie, or visit website for more information https://ivi.ie/staff/.