Open Data Publishing Guidelines

Version: 1.2 (Aug 2026)

Open Data Unit, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

Supported by:

Open Data Advisory Group

Author: Deirdre Lee, Derilinx

Contents

• Glossary
• The EU Directive on Open Data and the Re-Use of Public Sector Information
• Quick Guide
• Open Data Publishing Guidelines
  • 1. Publish High-Value Datasets
  • 2. Perform Data Audits
  • 3. Put in Place an Open Data Publishing Roadmap
  • 4. Associate Data with an Open Data Licence
  • 5. Provide Comprehensive Metadata
  • 6. Provide Accurate Timeframe Metadata
  • 7. Ensure Data is Up-to-Date
  • 8. Enable the Geolocation of Data
  • 9. Provide Granular Data
  • 10. Co-Locate Documentation for the Dataset
  • 11. Publish Data in Open Formats
  • 12. Publish Historical Datasets
  • 13. Provide Access to Dynamic Data
  • 14. Publish Data via APIs
  • 15. Use Data Standards
  • 16. Use Trusted Identifiers to Link Datasets
  • 17. Ensure Dataset URLs are Operational
  • 18. Identify Related Datasets
  • 19. Support Non-Technical Users in Understanding the Data
  • 20. Collaborate with User Community
  • 21. Provide Examples of Data in Use
  • 22. Measure Data Use
• Footnotes