Open Data Index

The 2013 Open Data Index is an interesting assessment of the state of release by governments around the world of key data, and the extent to which that data is "legally and technically usable" by citizens, organizations, and businesses. It was coordinated and recently released by the Open Knowledge Foundation, a global non-partisan group dedicated to "opening up knowledge around the world and seeing it used and useful."  The Open Data Index scores and ranks 70 countries in key data areas such as election results, national statistics, government budget, company registrations, and emissions of pollutants.  The results, based on contributions from a publicized list of advocates and experts, rank the United States high overall.  You can explore more about the Foundation's open data concepts and definitions here.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat