FAQ
Have Questions about DATA.GOV.HK?
Here are some frequently asked questions for you to know about DATA.GOV.HK.
Q1. What is DATA.GOV.HK?
DATA.GOV.HK is coordinated by the Digital Policy Office with the participation of different government departments and public / private organisations to disseminate various types of open data for free re-use for both commercial and non-commercial purposes subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use as published on DATA.GOV.HK and related websites.
Q2. What is the objective of DATA.GOV.HK?
The Government and other public / private organisations hold a wealth of data, ranging from demographic, economic, geographical, meteorological data to historical documents and archives. We believe that providing the open data in a form or on terms that facilitates its wider dissemination and re-use will increase the value that the community realises from the use of such information. The wider the dissemination of open data, and the more flexibility there is in the way it is used, the greater the extent to which the benefits can be realised. This will be conducive to Hong Kong’s development as a knowledge-based economy.
Q3. What is the scope of DATA.GOV.HK?
From 2015 onwards, free online government data will be released in digital formats to encourage development of more applications. The Government will also endeavour to work with other public / private organisations to make available more datasets on DATA.GOV.HK in future.
Q4. How can I make use of the data disseminated under DATA.GOV.HK?
On DATA.GOV.HK, all datasets are provided in digital formats. The Government encourages more innovative uses of the open data by the public to realise their potential values. You are welcome to make reference to resources on the Internet, acquire knowledge in educational institutions or seek assistance from relevant professionals in the industry for building and deploying applications. Except re-sale of the data, there is no restriction on the uses of the data so long as the users comply with the respective Terms and Conditions of Use of DATA.GOV.HK and related websites.
Q5. Do I need to pay the Government in re-using the data available on DATA.GOV.HK? In case my re-use generates profit?
The Government will not collect fees and royalties for commercial or non-commercial re-use of data on DATA.GOV.HK.
Q6. What are the key functionalities of DATA.GOV.HK?
DATA.GOV.HK is a platform for open data with numerous functionalities, including:
- Enhanced Search Function - support searching both basic information (e.g. dataset name) of datasets and the contents in the datasets, and provide filter functions (e.g. filter by data category, data format and data provider)
- Application Programming Interface (API) - provide different API builders to help users extract the data based on their query or specified historical data
- Historical Data - let users specify a date range to download the previous version(s) of the file(s)
- Download Queue - allow users to bookmark the datasets that they are interested and download in one go
- Developer Guide - help developers to learn how to use the APIs
- Help Function - help users to learn how to use DATA.GOV.HK
- Application Section - showcase creative web and mobile applications and solutions developed by the community with DATA.GOV.HK datasets, demonstrating the potentials of the open data provided in digital formats.
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