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Table 1 Intelligent openness as defined by the UK’s Royal Society

From: A decadal view of biodiversity informatics: challenges and priorities

Intelligent openness terms

Definition

Accessible

Data must be located in such a manner that it can readily be found and in a form that can be used.

Assessable

In a state in which judgments can be made as to the data or information’s reliability. Data must provide an account of the results of scientific work that is intelligible to those wishing to understand or scrutinise them. Data must therefore be differentiated for different audiences.

Intelligible

Comprehensive for those who wish to scrutinise something. Audiences need to be able to make some judgment or assessment of what is communicated. They will need to judge the nature of the claims made. They should be able to judge the competence and reliability of those making the claims. Assessability also includes the disclosure of attendant factors that might influence public trust.

Useable

In a format where others can use the data or information. Data should be able to be reused, often for different purposes, and therefore will require proper background information and metadata. The usability of data will also depend on those who wish to use them.