Feedback on Ingredients for High Quality Linked Data section of Linked Data Cookbook

This is a great working group, nicely organized.  In particular the Linked
Data Cookbook is quite useful.

 

I do have some feedback for the High Quality Linked Data section of that
Linked Data Cookbook.

 

It is my view that one thing missing from the list of items necessary for
high quality linked data is business rules.  In particular computations or
relations between information items.

 

This is a very good summary/example of what I am taking about and way I have
this position:

 

http://xbrl.squarespace.com/journal/2010/5/27/census-bureau-confirms-error-r
evises-data-set.html

 

The cliff notes are that the US Census Bureau published data, the format was
CSV.  If the data were in RDF, the same issue would exist.  The data had an
error in it.  It was not until I created business rules to be sure that my
use of the data was correct that I discovered an error in the US Census
data.  I found this error because I wanted to be sure the XBRL information I
was creating was correct. As such, I created business rules, using XBRL, to
verify that my data set was correct.  And that is how I found the error.

 

Said another way, if the data set had business rules provided WITH the data
set, then (a) those providing the data would have become aware of the error
and (b) those using the data could both better understand the relationships
because they are articulated and they can validate the information prior to
use to confirm that there is no error.

 

Thank you for considering this feedback.

 

Cheers,

 

Charles Hoffman, CPA