This document provides Best Practices related to the publication and usage of data on the Web designed to help support a self-sustaining ecosystem. Data should be discoverable and understandable by humans and machines. Where data is used in some way, whether by the originator of the data or by an external party, such usage should also be discoverable and the efforts of the data publisher recognized. In short, following these Best Practices will facilitate interaction between publishers and consumers.
The Working Group invites publishers to test whether their datasets pass or fail each of the Best Practices in this document using the DWBP Evidences Form. The information gathered through this means will be augmented by further analysis of data available on the Web and, as noted in the charter, national or sector-specific guidelines that reference the Best Practices. The Working Group expects to adduce the combined set of evidence when requesting that the Director advance this document to Proposed Recommendation.