/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/authors/bbrantley/ Recent content on Digital.gov Hugo en-us /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2018/03/14/data-briefing-value-federal-government-data/ Wed, 14 Mar 2018 03:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2018/03/14/data-briefing-value-federal-government-data/ Dr. Bill Brantley covers the application of infonomics as a way to help agencies to measure and use data for organizational innovation and digital transformation. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/27/data-briefing-how-build-a-chatbot-in-a-weekend/ Wed, 27 Sep 2017 15:40:00 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/27/data-briefing-how-build-a-chatbot-in-a-weekend/ As chatbots have become more popular, some online sites will let you create a chatbot with little or no programming. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/20/data-briefing-will-artificial-intelligence-tools-replace-or-augment-federal-employees/ Wed, 20 Sep 2017 11:00:44 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/20/data-briefing-will-artificial-intelligence-tools-replace-or-augment-federal-employees/ A Washington, D.C. think tank recently released reports advocating using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to reorganize the federal government. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/13/the-data-briefing-how-blockchains-future-growth-will-affect-federal-agencies/ Wed, 13 Sep 2017 09:01:00 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/13/the-data-briefing-how-blockchains-future-growth-will-affect-federal-agencies/ Blockchains are an innovative technology which promises to radically change how society conducts business. It will take significant changes in organizational processes before agencies can begin to support blockchains. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/06/how-federal-leaders-can-build-the-will-skill-and-velocity-needed-for-digital-transformation/ Wed, 06 Sep 2017 03:00:31 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/06/how-federal-leaders-can-build-the-will-skill-and-velocity-needed-for-digital-transformation/ Learning—and practicing—five imperatives of network leadership can help agencies improve their odds for successful digital transformation. Many organizations are undergoing digital transformation because the organizations see that it is necessary for long-term survival. However, digitally reinventing the organization is “one of the hardest journeys to make.” According to industry experts, two-thirds of organizations will fail /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/08/09/the-data-briefing-federal-government-pioneers-in-virtual-realityaugmented-reality-training/ Wed, 09 Aug 2017 05:59:54 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/08/09/the-data-briefing-federal-government-pioneers-in-virtual-realityaugmented-reality-training/ When I was in the private sector, around the year 2000, I worked for an information technology (IT) consulting company as a project manager and developer. On one project, I provided support for early mobile devices given to medical students. I worked in a small office around the corner from the cardio-respiratory simulator (CRS). The /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/07/26/the-data-briefing-ten-years-of-digital-transformation-lessons-learned/ Wed, 26 Jul 2017 12:00:00 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/07/26/the-data-briefing-ten-years-of-digital-transformation-lessons-learned/ Since 2007, a major consulting firm has conducted an annual survey on organizations’ “Digital IQ.” In the ten years of organizations grappling with digital transformation, what has been learned? /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/06/21/the-data-briefing-the-arrival-of-generation-z-into-the-federal-government-and-generation-a/ Wed, 21 Jun 2017 14:58:31 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/06/21/the-data-briefing-the-arrival-of-generation-z-into-the-federal-government-and-generation-a/ In the last national election, the earliest born members of Generation Z voted for the first time. In 2019, the American workforce will see the influx of tens of millions of Gen Zers who, according to some researchers, will be a stark contrast to the Millennials that will make the largest part of the 2020 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/06/14/the-data-briefing-the-promise-and-perils-of-artificial-emotional-intelligence/ Wed, 14 Jun 2017 11:37:13 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/06/14/the-data-briefing-the-promise-and-perils-of-artificial-emotional-intelligence/ People are quick to treat computer programs as being more aware than computer code could be. However, can computer programs – especially chatbots – have a significant effect on people? Especially people suffering from depression or anxiety? A recent academic study shows some promising results from using a chatbot as a complement to a human therapist. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/06/07/the-data-briefing-design-driven-enterprise-architecture-creating-the-new-federal-government-agency/ Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:00:19 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/06/07/the-data-briefing-design-driven-enterprise-architecture-creating-the-new-federal-government-agency/ It’s been a while since I’ve checked in on enterprise architecture (EA). My last in-depth work with EA was around 2011 when I was on detail to the Office of Personnel Management’s Open Government Team. The EA model I worked with was the top-down organizational design of information technology assets, data assets, and business processes. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/05/10/the-data-briefing-how-to-best-prepare-federal-government-datasets-for-chatbots/ Wed, 10 May 2017 11:00:46 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/05/10/the-data-briefing-how-to-best-prepare-federal-government-datasets-for-chatbots/ Forbes magazine recently ran an article showcasing six handy mobile apps that were built using federal government open data. The apps range from the Alternative Fueling Station Locator to ZocDoc (a doctor locator). What I especially like about the Forbes article is that the author describes the federal government data sets behind each app. There /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/04/19/the-data-briefing-the-department-of-education-needs-your-help-with-their-first-developers-site/ Wed, 19 Apr 2017 11:00:26 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/04/19/the-data-briefing-the-department-of-education-needs-your-help-with-their-first-developers-site/ The Department of Education (ED) launched its first developer site. The developer site is built on GitHub which will make it easier for ED to centralize their code and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Currently, ten APIs are on the developer site: The Civil Right Data Collection (CRDC) APIs: These three APIs give information on public /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/03/15/the-data-briefing-understand-serverless-architecture-in-three-minutes/ Wed, 15 Mar 2017 11:02:43 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/03/15/the-data-briefing-understand-serverless-architecture-in-three-minutes/ You may have heard of “serverless architecture” or Amazon Web Services (AWS) Lambda product and wondered what is unique about this new buzzword. As with many new digital cloud technologies, serverless architecture could mean two things. It may be applications that are built using third-party cloud applications. Or serverless architectures could be pieces of code /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/03/08/the-data-briefing-finding-the-new-federal-government-technologists/ Wed, 08 Mar 2017 02:05:17 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/03/08/the-data-briefing-finding-the-new-federal-government-technologists/ This week, I want to briefly discuss the human resources challenges in finding the new IT technology workers for the government. As agencies move toward microservices, artificial intelligence chatbots, and deep learning application programming interfaces (APIs), the demand for experts in these fields continues to grow fast. The universities and professional development programs are not /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/30/the-data-briefing-why-and-how-to-attend-your-first-hackathon/ Wed, 30 Nov 2016 03:00:47 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/30/the-data-briefing-why-and-how-to-attend-your-first-hackathon/ December 9, 2016, will be the 110th anniversary of Admiral Grace Hopper’s birthday. Admiral Hopper was a pioneer in computer programming who created the first compiler and whose ideas lead to the creation of COBOL. An apocryphal legend also credits Admiral Hopper with coining the terms “bug” and “debugging.” The GSA’s IT Digital Service Team /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/23/the-data-briefing-it-takes-an-online-community-to-digitally-transform-an-organization/ Wed, 23 Nov 2016 11:00:49 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/23/the-data-briefing-it-takes-an-online-community-to-digitally-transform-an-organization/ The open source movement has changed how we develop software, create content, and even do science. Using a community to help complete projects and bring about change has become so ubiquitous in the last ten years that it has even earned a name — crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing is a powerful tool and is now being used to help /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/09/the-data-briefing-four-steps-to-becoming-a-data-driven-organization/ Wed, 09 Nov 2016 11:00:45 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/09/the-data-briefing-four-steps-to-becoming-a-data-driven-organization/ As the Federal government agencies begin the digital transformation journey, becoming a data-driven organization is even more vital. What does it mean to become a data-driven organization? According to one definition, “[a] data-driven company is an organization where every person who can use data to make better decisions, has access to the data they need /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/02/the-data-briefing-learning-from-the-u-s-cities-on-how-to-implement-big-data-initiatives/ Wed, 02 Nov 2016 10:00:36 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/02/the-data-briefing-learning-from-the-u-s-cities-on-how-to-implement-big-data-initiatives/ A recent study of big data initiatives in 65 cities has interesting guidance for Federal big data initiatives. The researchers studied how data is collected and then used for decision making in what they called “the framework for Big Data initiatives.” There are two major cycles in the framework: “The data cycle governs the tools /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/26/the-data-briefing-help-predict-the-future-of-federal-government-data/ Wed, 26 Oct 2016 13:00:55 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/26/the-data-briefing-help-predict-the-future-of-federal-government-data/ In December, I plan to write two postings detailing a scenario analysis for the next ten years of the Federal government’s data technologies. Governments are on the cusp of amazing technological advances propelled by artificial intelligence, blockchain technologies, and the Internet of Things. Also, governments will face new challenges such as the recent global cyber /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/19/the-data-briefing-using-artificial-intelligence-to-augment-the-work-of-frontline-government-employees/ Wed, 19 Oct 2016 11:00:44 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/19/the-data-briefing-using-artificial-intelligence-to-augment-the-work-of-frontline-government-employees/ You have probably read about the recent release of the White House’s report on using artificial intelligence (AI). As with previous technologies, AI holds much promise in the areas of education, commerce, criminal justice, the environment—almost all aspects of the American public’s life. AI also poses a danger if it is not properly managed and /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/12/the-data-briefing-twenty-years-of-usajobs/ Wed, 12 Oct 2016 13:00:42 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/12/the-data-briefing-twenty-years-of-usajobs/ I recently sat down with Michelle Earley, Program Manager, to discuss the new changes for the 20th anniversary of USAJOBS. 1) What are the three big lessons learned from 20 years of building and managing USAJOBS? I think one of the greatest benefits of being an Agile program is that we are constantly learning. In /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/05/the-data-briefing-the-federal-data-cabinet-promoting-data-literacy-cultural-change-and-the-federal-data-applications-ecosystem/ Wed, 05 Oct 2016 13:00:21 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/05/the-data-briefing-the-federal-data-cabinet-promoting-data-literacy-cultural-change-and-the-federal-data-applications-ecosystem/ Last Wednesday, the White House held the first Open Data Summit to showcase the open data accomplishments of the Obama Administration. One of the highlights was the formation of a government-wide “data cabinet.” Announced by Chief Data Scientist DJ Patil, the data cabinet is essentially a community of practice comprising the Federal agency’s data professionals. As /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/09/28/the-data-briefing-a-new-perspective-on-the-digital-transformation-of-government/ Wed, 28 Sep 2016 02:00:23 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/09/28/the-data-briefing-a-new-perspective-on-the-digital-transformation-of-government/ One day, at an unnamed agency, the Outlook server crashed. The server stayed down for the rest of the afternoon. Deprived of email and meeting calendars, employees wandered around trying to remember what meetings they had to attend. Other employees went searching for people who they ordinarily would email. There was confusion that made people /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/09/21/the-data-briefing-should-u-s-federal-employees-become-data-science-literate/ Wed, 21 Sep 2016 11:00:24 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/09/21/the-data-briefing-should-u-s-federal-employees-become-data-science-literate/ The United Kingdom’s (UK) Digital Service has researched ways to increase data science literacy among the UK public service. Data science literacy goes further than data literacy, in that civil servants will know how to apply data science concepts and methods in their everyday work. I thought it would be useful to share the UK /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/09/14/the-data-briefing-harnessing-the-internet-of-things-and-synthetic-data-to-provide-better-flood-warnings-and-prevent-veterans-suicides/ Wed, 14 Sep 2016 11:00:37 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/09/14/the-data-briefing-harnessing-the-internet-of-things-and-synthetic-data-to-provide-better-flood-warnings-and-prevent-veterans-suicides/ Two significant items in federal government data in the last few weeks: The Department of Commerce releases the National Water Model. The National Water Model provides a comprehensive model of river flows so local communities can better prepare for possible flooding events. What is especially amazing about the National Water Model is that it pulls /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/24/the-data-briefing-microservices-and-serverless-apps-a-new-direction-for-federal-government-mobile-apps/ Wed, 24 Aug 2016 10:00:00 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/24/the-data-briefing-microservices-and-serverless-apps-a-new-direction-for-federal-government-mobile-apps/ Continuing from last week’s column on DevOps and containers, I will explain two other hot trends in IT — microservices and serverless apps. For those who want official federal government guidance, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a draft special publication on microservices, application containers, and system virtual machines (PDF, 660 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/17/the-data-briefing-devops-and-containers-and-why-they-are-important-to-transforming-federal-government-it/ Wed, 17 Aug 2016 13:00:11 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/17/the-data-briefing-devops-and-containers-and-why-they-are-important-to-transforming-federal-government-it/ You may have heard about “DevOps” in the news or when meeting with IT professionals. What exactly is DevOps and what, if any, connection does it have with agile? Also, what do “containers” have to do with all of this? In this week’s column, I will introduce DevOps and a related technology: containers. Some DevOps /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/10/the-data-briefing-finding-great-global-development-data-visualizations-courtesy-of-the-state-department/ Wed, 10 Aug 2016 01:30:22 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/10/the-data-briefing-finding-great-global-development-data-visualizations-courtesy-of-the-state-department/ Federal agencies have been releasing some fascinating data visualization tools in the last year. Recently, the State Department unveiled the Beta version of FIND or the “F Interagency Network Databank.” From the description in the FAQ: “The F Interagency Network Databank (FIND) is an online tool that enables users to explore and analyze national level /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/27/the-data-briefing-the-census-business-builder-mashing-up-census-data-to-help-build-businesses/ Wed, 27 Jul 2016 10:00:57 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/27/the-data-briefing-the-census-business-builder-mashing-up-census-data-to-help-build-businesses/ The Census Bureau conducts more surveys than just the Constitutionally-mandated Decennial Census. There is also the American Community Survey, the Economic Census, the County Business Patterns series, statistics on Nonemployer businesses, and the Survey of Business Owners and Self-Employed Persons. On their own, each survey is full of useful information for researchers, local and state governments, and entrepreneurs. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/20/the-data-briefing-preparedgo-the-federal-emergency-management-agency-mobile-app/ Wed, 20 Jul 2016 10:00:54 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/20/the-data-briefing-preparedgo-the-federal-emergency-management-agency-mobile-app/ While you are outside hunting Pokemon or helping your children hunt Pokemon, consider adding another mobile app to your smartphone or tablet. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mobile app alerts you about severe weather and other natural disasters. The app is also a great information resource on surviving disasters and connects you to FEMA /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/13/the-data-briefing-mobile-apps-responsive-web-sites-and-the-mobile-moment/ Wed, 13 Jul 2016 10:00:43 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/13/the-data-briefing-mobile-apps-responsive-web-sites-and-the-mobile-moment/ The debate between responsive websites and mobile apps took a decisive turn this week when the United Kingdom’s Digital Service (UKDS) banned the creation of mobile apps. In an interview with GovInsider, the founder of UKDS, Ben Terrett, explained that mobile apps were too expensive to build and maintain. Responsive websites were easier to build /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/06/the-data-briefing-i-for-one-welcome-our-new-chatbot-blockchain-digital-autonomous-organizations/ Wed, 06 Jul 2016 11:00:56 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/06/the-data-briefing-i-for-one-welcome-our-new-chatbot-blockchain-digital-autonomous-organizations/ It is at the intersections of fields where you find the most fascinating and innovative concepts. Recently, a conference on “Open Human Resources and the Cognitive Era” explored the use of chatbots and blockchain technologies in human resources. Human Resources (HR) is quietly undergoing a revolution as many HR practitioners are transforming HR by using /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/06/29/the-data-briefing-innovating-processes-the-lean-and-agile-way/ Wed, 29 Jun 2016 11:00:41 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/06/29/the-data-briefing-innovating-processes-the-lean-and-agile-way/ In today’s world of big data, cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and the rise of smarter artificial intelligence (AI) applications, processes have become even more vital. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/06/22/the-data-briefing-nasas-new-big-data-strategy/ Wed, 22 Jun 2016 11:00:33 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/06/22/the-data-briefing-nasas-new-big-data-strategy/ Few other federal agencies deal with as much data as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Big science creates big data, and NASA manages many of the biggest science projects in world history. Even in the early days of NASA’s history, NASA pioneered new ways to create and store data. So, in the world /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/25/the-data-briefing-better-crowdsourced-federal-government-projects-through-cognitive-computing/ Wed, 25 May 2016 10:00:26 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/25/the-data-briefing-better-crowdsourced-federal-government-projects-through-cognitive-computing/ Cognitive computing has been receiving a good deal of attention lately as more companies have been building intelligent agents. Ever since IBM Watson’s 2011 appearance on Jeopardy, cognitive computing has spread into healthcare, investing and even veterinary medicine. However, it is only recently that cognitive computing has spread into government applications. As the name implies, /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/18/the-data-briefing-introducing-the-u-s-patent-and-trademark-offices-new-open-data-portal/ Wed, 18 May 2016 11:10:59 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/18/the-data-briefing-introducing-the-u-s-patent-and-trademark-offices-new-open-data-portal/ My first column when I came back from last year’s summer sabbatical was on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) PatentsView project. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/11/the-data-briefing-what-makes-a-great-federal-government-app/ Wed, 11 May 2016 11:00:51 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/11/the-data-briefing-what-makes-a-great-federal-government-app/ There were many apps released by the federal government over the last 5-6 years on a wide range of topics and services. So, what are the outstanding federal government apps for 2016? /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/04/the-data-briefing-engaging-citizens-through-citizenscience-gov/ Wed, 04 May 2016 10:00:01 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/04/the-data-briefing-engaging-citizens-through-citizenscience-gov/ Last month, I worked to create a “Citizen Science Passport” for the federal agencies participating in the USA Science and Engineering Festival. Seven federal agencies offered some form of crowdsourcing or citizen science activity at their booths such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s exhibit on food safety or Environmental Protection Agency’s build-your-own air monitoring /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/04/27/the-data-briefing-tales-from-the-dark-side-of-data/ Wed, 27 Apr 2016 10:00:50 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/04/27/the-data-briefing-tales-from-the-dark-side-of-data/ There are many scary tales in the world of knowledge management and data management. Tales of missing data that was lost through the administrative cracks, such as the story of the missing Apollo 11 moonwalk tapes that most likely were erased by accident. Or the 36-year search for the original Wright Brothers’ patent, which was /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/04/20/the-data-briefing-chatbots-and-the-rise-of-conversational-commerce-and-citizen-experience/ Wed, 20 Apr 2016 11:00:59 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/04/20/the-data-briefing-chatbots-and-the-rise-of-conversational-commerce-and-citizen-experience/ Ten months ago, I wrote about the rise of the post-app world in which mobile personal assistants would do the work of five to 10 apps combined. These mobile personal assistants, now known as chatbots, would work through conversational interfaces (voice and instant messaging, for example). The idea is to build more natural interfaces for people /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/04/06/the-data-briefing-building-an-open-government-data-ecosystem-in-the-federal-government/ Wed, 06 Apr 2016 13:30:10 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/04/06/the-data-briefing-building-an-open-government-data-ecosystem-in-the-federal-government/ It has been over seven years since President Obama signed the executive order that launched the federal open data movement. Much progress has been made, and there is still more to do. Along with the United States, over 100 nations have started programs to provide open access to government data. From large metropolitan governments to /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/30/the-data-briefing-an-interview-with-usajobs-on-new-changes-to-their-data-services/ Wed, 30 Mar 2016 10:00:36 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/30/the-data-briefing-an-interview-with-usajobs-on-new-changes-to-their-data-services/ The Office of Personnel Management released a new look and functionality to USAJOBS in February. I recently contacted Michelle Earley, the USAJOBS Program Manager, to ask about the changes to USAJOBS and the data it provides. 1. What are /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/23/the-data-briefing-three-significant-events-in-federal-open-data-this-past-week/ Wed, 23 Mar 2016 10:00:52 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/23/the-data-briefing-three-significant-events-in-federal-open-data-this-past-week/ Three recent stories demonstrate how opening up federal government data and using agile methods to create federal government software can spur innovation while saving tax money and helping the American public. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/16/the-data-briefing-new-opportunities-for-american-cities-and-communities-thanks-to-open-data/ Wed, 16 Mar 2016 10:00:18 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/16/the-data-briefing-new-opportunities-for-american-cities-and-communities-thanks-to-open-data/ Open data and APIs* have not only transformed the federal government; open data and APIs are also transforming tribal, state and local governments. Like federal agencies, some tribal, state and local governments are ahead of other governments in open data innovations. This situation reminds me of my earlier work with the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/09/the-data-briefing-mobile-websites-or-mobile-apps-or-both/ Wed, 09 Mar 2016 10:46:15 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/09/the-data-briefing-mobile-websites-or-mobile-apps-or-both/ The increasing sophistication of mobile devices has created many opportunities for developers. This opportunity has created one of the most contentious debates in the mobile development community: mobile apps versus mobile websites? /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/02/the-data-briefing-serving-citizen-developers-inside-and-outside-of-the-federal-government/ Wed, 02 Mar 2016 10:00:28 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/02/the-data-briefing-serving-citizen-developers-inside-and-outside-of-the-federal-government/ Citizen developers are people who do not work in information technology (IT) but have built IT applications. Back in the mid-80s, business people would smuggle in personal computers to run their spreadsheets and word processing applications (anyone remember VisiCalc and Bank Street Writer?) instead of having to rely on data processing departments. Today, citizen developers /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/24/the-data-briefing-the-challenge-of-opening-up-federal-government-algorithms/ Wed, 24 Feb 2016 10:00:39 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/24/the-data-briefing-the-challenge-of-opening-up-federal-government-algorithms/ Algorithms are becoming more important as the amount of data grows, and the complexity of government and business processes grows. Put simply, an algorithm is just a set of steps for solving a problem. If you shop online, use an online social network or a mobile app to plan your route, then you are using /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/17/the-data-briefing-demand-driven-open-data-at-health-and-human-services/ Wed, 17 Feb 2016 10:00:13 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/17/the-data-briefing-demand-driven-open-data-at-health-and-human-services/ For many agencies, what data to make open is left up to the agency’s judgment. This has worked well as agencies do a good job in understanding the public’s needs for specific datasets. Even so, as developers and citizens begin using the open datasets, there is increasing demand for specific agency datasets. The issue is /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/03/the-data-briefing-mapping-the-big-data-ecosystem-of-u-s-agriculture/ Wed, 03 Feb 2016 10:19:49 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/03/the-data-briefing-mapping-the-big-data-ecosystem-of-u-s-agriculture/ The Congressional Research Service recently released a report (PDF, 688 kb, 17 pages, January 2016) describing the big data ecosystem for U.S. agriculture. The purpose of the report was to understand the federal government’s role in emerging big data sources and technologies involved in U.S. agriculture. As the report author, Megan Stubbs, points out, there is /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/27/the-data-briefing-improving-the-federal-government-through-mobile-apps/ Wed, 27 Jan 2016 10:00:08 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/27/the-data-briefing-improving-the-federal-government-through-mobile-apps/ Federal agencies are doing well in fulfilling the 2012 Digital Government Strategy by providing numerous mobile apps for American citizens. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/13/the-data-briefing-2016-trends-that-could-affect-federal-government-data/ Wed, 13 Jan 2016 13:00:51 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/13/the-data-briefing-2016-trends-that-could-affect-federal-government-data/ Many IT pundits predict 2016 will be a major tipping point in data and related technologies. Here are just a few predictions: 1) The Internet of Things—The number of devices that can connect to the Internet increases, especially in consumer electronics. Also, the number of sensors will dramatically increase providing more real-time data on weather, /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/06/the-data-briefing-using-federal-open-data-to-understand-how-government-performs/ Wed, 06 Jan 2016 10:54:27 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/06/the-data-briefing-using-federal-open-data-to-understand-how-government-performs/ Some highlights from the recent fall conference of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management: Localities that receive disaster mitigation funds also have more disaster declarations. Longer, more detailed proposed regulations receive fewer challenges to implementing the regulation. Agencies that are better at quantifying their results are safer from budget cuts. The findings above /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/30/the-data-briefing-design-for-developer-experience-dx-and-data-prosumer-experience-dpx/ Wed, 30 Dec 2015 11:00:01 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/30/the-data-briefing-design-for-developer-experience-dx-and-data-prosumer-experience-dpx/ Recently, DigitalGov devoted an entire month to exploring how good user experience (UX) helps government design better digital products and services. UX is the art and science of understanding how people will use a website or mobile app to solve a problem or meet a need. UX is a combination of neuroscience, communication theory, information /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/23/the-data-briefing-air-and-space-museum-launches-new-mobile-app-into-the-frontier-of-stem-education/ Wed, 23 Dec 2015 10:00:58 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/23/the-data-briefing-air-and-space-museum-launches-new-mobile-app-into-the-frontier-of-stem-education/ The Smithsonian Institution’s Air and Space Museum just released a new educational mobile app, Mobile Missions. From the website: “Find out if you are cut out for a career in aerospace with our free mobile app, Mobile Missions. Take our quiz to discover the best aerospace career for you. Explore objects from our collection related to /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/16/the-data-briefing-does-the-federal-government-have-an-obligation-to-educate-open-data-users/ Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:00:07 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/16/the-data-briefing-does-the-federal-government-have-an-obligation-to-educate-open-data-users/ Pop quiz on statistics and data science (answers at the end of the article): 1) I have some data on accidents at railroad crossings. One variable indicates the compass direction a railroad crossing faces (North, Northwest, Northeast, and so on). This variable is a/an: Ordinal Categorical Directional Interval 2) I have some ordinal data that /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/09/the-data-briefing-help-hacksuicide-this-weekend/ Wed, 09 Dec 2015 10:00:18 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/09/the-data-briefing-help-hacksuicide-this-weekend/ A month ago, I wrote about the White House’s call for data scientists and app developers to come together to help combat suicide. On December 12, 2015, there will be five hackathons around the U.S. to #HackSuicide. All the hackathons are free and open to the public. Even if you are not a data scientist, /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/02/the-data-briefing-the-open-government-data-revolution-is-just-getting-started/ Wed, 02 Dec 2015 11:00:18 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/02/the-data-briefing-the-open-government-data-revolution-is-just-getting-started/ Some of you may remember when President Reagan opened America’s Global Positioning System (GPS) data. President Reagan gave all countries access to the GPS data in response to the Soviet Union shooting down Korean Airlines Flight 007 on September 1, 1983. I do not believe that the U.S. realized how much opening up GPS data /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/25/the-data-briefing-how-neuroscience-and-communication-theory-inform-good-user-experience-design/ Wed, 25 Nov 2015 11:00:51 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/25/the-data-briefing-how-neuroscience-and-communication-theory-inform-good-user-experience-design/ UX is everything from the visual design to the navigation structure of the website or mobile app. This month, DigitalGov is focusing on UX design. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/18/the-data-briefing-innovating-health-data-at-the-hhs-idea-lab/ Wed, 18 Nov 2015 10:00:07 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/18/the-data-briefing-innovating-health-data-at-the-hhs-idea-lab/ By the time this is published, the United States, along with 160 other countries, will be celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week 2015. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) IDEA Lab is an outstanding example of a federal agency using open data to foster economic growth through empowering federal employees with innovative ideas and opening health data to the private sector. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/04/the-data-briefing-is-that-drug-safe-the-fdas-rr-drug-rshiny-app/ Wed, 04 Nov 2015 10:11:23 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/04/the-data-briefing-is-that-drug-safe-the-fdas-rr-drug-rshiny-app/ I (virtually) attended the Third Annual Safety Datapalooza last Thursday and was greatly impressed by the projects and initiatives for public safety. This was a great event, and I am glad that live streaming was provided for those who could not attend in person but have a great interest in using government data for disaster /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/28/the-data-briefing-challenge-yourself-to-create-an-app-for-employees-with-disabilities/ Wed, 28 Oct 2015 10:00:42 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/28/the-data-briefing-challenge-yourself-to-create-an-app-for-employees-with-disabilities/ Have you worked with an employee with a disability? Are you an employee with a disability? Then, you know the unique challenges of the average workplace that able-bodied colleagues may never experience. Workplace challenges could be overcome with accommodations such as larger computer monitor displays, wheelchair-accessible office furniture or a voice reader. In some cases, /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/21/the-data-briefing-300-mobile-moments/ Wed, 21 Oct 2015 11:00:10 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/21/the-data-briefing-300-mobile-moments/ DigitalGov’s theme this month is mobile moments, which explores the impact of mobile applications in the federal government. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/07/the-data-briefing-white-house-asks-data-scientists-and-app-developers-to-help-suicide-prevention-efforts/ Wed, 07 Oct 2015 10:09:18 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/07/the-data-briefing-white-house-asks-data-scientists-and-app-developers-to-help-suicide-prevention-efforts/ This article describes some of the data sources that could be leveraged for building data analysis and apps to aid in the suicide prevention effort. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/30/the-data-briefing-connecting-the-data-dots-nasas-nyspacetag-app/ Wed, 30 Sep 2015 11:30:04 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/30/the-data-briefing-connecting-the-data-dots-nasas-nyspacetag-app/ OpenNASA has recently completed another redesign of their site. With over 31,000 data sets, 194 code repositories and 36 APIs, OpenNASA probably has the largest collection of open data of any of the federal agencies. An especially helpful feature is a set of icons devoted to five types /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/23/the-data-briefing-surrounded-by-fields-of-federal-data-u-s-patent-and-trademark-offices-patentsview/ Wed, 23 Sep 2015 10:00:11 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/23/the-data-briefing-surrounded-by-fields-of-federal-data-u-s-patent-and-trademark-offices-patentsview/ Hello, everyone. My summer sabbatical was short but educational, and I am glad to be back in the federal government. I am also excited to again take up the weekly API article that is now expanded to include all things federal government data. Much has happened in the open data realm, and there is much /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/24/the-api-briefing-government-apis-in-a-post-apps-world/ Wed, 24 Jun 2015 13:45:41 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/24/the-api-briefing-government-apis-in-a-post-apps-world/ Take out your smartphone and count the number of apps that you have. How many of these apps do you use daily? What about the apps you use weekly? Do you have any apps that you installed but used only once? Any apps that you have never used? What kind of apps do you have? /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/17/the-api-briefing-the-challenge-of-governments-dark-data/ Wed, 17 Jun 2015 10:00:23 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/17/the-api-briefing-the-challenge-of-governments-dark-data/ By now, you are familiar with “big data” or datasets that are so large that they cannot be analyzed by conventional analytical methods. You may have heard of “long data” which is data that has a temporal context. I work with long data when I analyze hiring patterns over time in workforce data. There is /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/03/the-api-briefing-make-it-an-api-the-census-bureaus-census-of-governments/ Wed, 03 Jun 2015 11:55:34 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/03/the-api-briefing-make-it-an-api-the-census-bureaus-census-of-governments/ Serendipity can be a wonderful tool for discovery. I was looking through the Census Bureau site for some business census data when I came upon the 2012 Census of Governments. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/05/27/the-api-briefing-nasa-builds-api-nasa-gov-to-launch-more-apis-to-developers/ Wed, 27 May 2015 10:00:44 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/05/27/the-api-briefing-nasa-builds-api-nasa-gov-to-launch-more-apis-to-developers/ NASA has been busy since we last visited their collection of APIs back in August 2014. NASA has just launched API.NASA.gov where developers can learn to use existing NASA /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/05/20/the-api-briefing-five-federal-apis-for-building-a-government-jobs-finder-mobile-app/ Wed, 20 May 2015 10:00:43 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/05/20/the-api-briefing-five-federal-apis-for-building-a-government-jobs-finder-mobile-app/ The spring semesters are winding down at the universities where I teach. Many students are looking for summer internships or their first job after graduation. Of course, I talk about the opportunities in government through the Pathways program, the Presidential Management Fellows, or the various agency-specific internship programs. I’ve demonstrated USAJOBS in my classes, but /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/05/06/the-api-briefing-be-prepared-with-the-federal-emergency-management-agencys-mobile-app/ Wed, 06 May 2015 11:00:44 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/05/06/the-api-briefing-be-prepared-with-the-federal-emergency-management-agencys-mobile-app/ Before coming to DC in late 2008, I lived in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville is in the Ohio Valley Region, which meteorologists euphemistically call “weather-rich.” With spring came the beautiful flowers and the Kentucky Derby. Spring also brought flooding, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and windstorms. This is why I had several emergency weather radios that also doubled /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/29/the-api-briefing-top-five-findings-for-api-developers-from-pew-research-center/ Wed, 29 Apr 2015 10:00:19 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/29/the-api-briefing-top-five-findings-for-api-developers-from-pew-research-center/ The Pew Research Center just released a report on how Americans view open government data. The following findings were based on a November to December 2014 survey of 3,212 adults. Two-thirds of Americans use the Internet or an app to connect with the government. According to Pew, 37% use the Internet to connect with the /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/22/the-api-briefing-making-a-difference-one-microtask-at-a-time/ Wed, 22 Apr 2015 10:00:44 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/22/the-api-briefing-making-a-difference-one-microtask-at-a-time/ I recently found an app that provides a great service through crowdsourcing. Be My Eyes connects visually-impaired people with volunteers. Using the smartphone’s camera, the volunteers can perform tasks such as reading an expiration date or helping someone navigate unfamiliar surroundings. This is not a federal app, but I wanted to highlight it to demonstrate how /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/15/the-api-briefing-how-essential-is-government-data-to-the-american-economy/ Wed, 15 Apr 2015 12:54:44 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/15/the-api-briefing-how-essential-is-government-data-to-the-american-economy/ I grew up when home computers were first being introduced to the general public. I bought my first computer, a Commodore 64, after spending a summer of mowing lawns and saving up my birthday and Christmas money. It was not until I entered college that I became an infopreneur. Infopreneurs are entrepreneurs who used computers /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/01/the-api-briefing-how-do-i-use-this-api-good-documentation-practices-from-department-of-labor/ Wed, 01 Apr 2015 14:43:54 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/01/the-api-briefing-how-do-i-use-this-api-good-documentation-practices-from-department-of-labor/ When I first started coding using BASIC on the Commodore 64, I rarely documented my programs. Neither did many of my fellow programmers which led to numerous hours trying to figure out just exactly how a program worked. Documentation became more vital as programs became more feature rich and complex. In the API world, there /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/25/the-api-briefing-free-federal-energy-and-economic-information-delivered-straight-to-your-spreadsheet/ Wed, 25 Mar 2015 11:10:59 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/25/the-api-briefing-free-federal-energy-and-economic-information-delivered-straight-to-your-spreadsheet/ Back in November 2014, I wrote about the Federal Reserve of St. Louis’ FRED® (Federal Reserve Economic Data) API. A user can access 238,000 economic trends through FRED® through a website and mobile apps. What is unique about FRED® is that a user can pull economic data directly into an Excel spreadsheet. Now, the FRED® /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/18/the-api-briefing-introduction-to-web-components/ Wed, 18 Mar 2015 10:00:17 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/18/the-api-briefing-introduction-to-web-components/ Instead of writing about a specific federal API this week, I want to talk about a new, evolving way of building Web interfaces and complete applications. Web Components allow developers to create their element that extends the HTML5 set of tags. Developers can create a Web Component /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/11/the-api-briefing-fulfilling-the-desire-for-renewable-energy-with-the-department-of-energys-new-api/ Wed, 11 Mar 2015 11:25:36 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/11/the-api-briefing-fulfilling-the-desire-for-renewable-energy-with-the-department-of-energys-new-api/ The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency® (DSIRE®) provides information on incentives and policies for renewables and energy efficiency in the U.S. This joint project by the Department of Energy and North Carolina State University just released an API to query DSIRE®’s database. Developers can view the sample /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/04/the-api-briefing-practicing-safe-app-development-with-secure-federal-apis/ Wed, 04 Mar 2015 12:10:13 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/04/the-api-briefing-practicing-safe-app-development-with-secure-federal-apis/ When browsing the various APIs offered by the federal government, you may have noticed that developers need to sign up for an API key. You may have also noticed that the documentation tells app developers to access the API using specified methods. Along with these two requirements, federal API creators /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/25/the-api-briefing-harvesting-the-usdas-rich-bounty-of-open-data-sets-for-apis/ Wed, 25 Feb 2015 10:00:20 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/25/the-api-briefing-harvesting-the-usdas-rich-bounty-of-open-data-sets-for-apis/ APIs and apps have been created for almost every aspect of human life. There are alarm clock apps, fitness apps, cooking apps, and personal finance apps, just to name a few of the thousands of apps available today. Most areas of society are well-represented in the app world except for one large portion of the /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/18/the-api-briefing-building-apps-with-apis-using-if-this-then-that/ Wed, 18 Feb 2015 10:42:26 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/18/the-api-briefing-building-apps-with-apis-using-if-this-then-that/ In my last posting, I argued that federal agencies should consider microservices architecture when releasing APIs. This is because allowing users to combine single-purpose apps together in unique ways helps people build personalized apps such as a driving map to local farmers markets. When given the opportunity, users will surprise you with the innovative creations /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/11/the-api-briefing-two-api-trends-to-watch-in-2015-microservices-and-containers/ Wed, 11 Feb 2015 11:10:46 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/11/the-api-briefing-two-api-trends-to-watch-in-2015-microservices-and-containers/ DigitalGov recently spotlighted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) new SaferRide app. SaferRide provides safe alternatives to keep drunken drivers off the road. SaferRide uses the Yelp API to provide information about local taxi services /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/28/the-api-briefing-nasa-and-usps-explore-the-holographic-computing-frontier/ Wed, 28 Jan 2015 10:00:30 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/28/the-api-briefing-nasa-and-usps-explore-the-holographic-computing-frontier/ Big news in the technology world as Microsoft unveiled HoloLens and Microsoft’s use of holographic computing in the upcoming Windows 10 release. Holographic computing or augmented reality uses computer-generated images that are overlaid on real world videos. For example, a user can view a car through their smartphone. An app can project information such as /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/21/the-api-briefing-bureau-of-labor-statistics-invites-developers-to-build-employment-apps/ Wed, 21 Jan 2015 10:10:01 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/21/the-api-briefing-bureau-of-labor-statistics-invites-developers-to-build-employment-apps/ The federal government collects an amazing amount of economic data. Several agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Treasury, and the Census Bureau collect economic data, ranging from the stock market activity to local business conditions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects information on the labor market and is a rich source /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/14/the-api-briefing-two-great-housing-apis-and-why-hud-needs-to-build-more/ Wed, 14 Jan 2015 12:47:31 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/14/the-api-briefing-two-great-housing-apis-and-why-hud-needs-to-build-more/ Recently, a reader pointed out that some of the APIs I write about are not really APIs but just datasets. Technically that is true but it only takes some development effort to turn a into an API. That is why I also highlight interesting federal datasets along with federal APIs. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/07/the-api-briefing-make-2015-the-year-you-create-an-app/ Wed, 07 Jan 2015 10:00:04 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/07/the-api-briefing-make-2015-the-year-you-create-an-app/ According to some experts, over 80% of Americans will make a least one New Year’s resolution. So, if you are looking for a way to improve yourself while helping others, think about making a resolution to learn how to build a mobile app that can be used in disaster relief. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/17/the-api-briefing-department-of-justice-frees-the-content-with-two-new-apis/ Wed, 17 Dec 2014 10:20:21 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/17/the-api-briefing-department-of-justice-frees-the-content-with-two-new-apis/ When websites were first created back in the 1990s, developers perfected their skills designing sites that presented content in an attractive and eye-catching manner. Content was completely contained within the four corners of the site. With the rise of Web 2.0, content /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/10/the-api-briefing-save-on-holiday-travels-with-fueleconomy-gov-web-services/ Wed, 10 Dec 2014 12:54:08 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/10/the-api-briefing-save-on-holiday-travels-with-fueleconomy-gov-web-services/ We are in the middle of the holidays, and that means much driving to visit friends and relatives. I was just in Kentucky this past weekend where I spent a total of eight hours driving. I am sure many of you will spend even more time driving in the next three weeks. So, where do /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/03/the-api-briefing-test-your-json-reading-skills-with-the-peace-corps-countries-and-regions-api/ Wed, 03 Dec 2014 10:00:50 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/03/the-api-briefing-test-your-json-reading-skills-with-the-peace-corps-countries-and-regions-api/ The Peace Corps just released a new dataset that lists all of the countries and regions Peace Corps volunteers serve. The API is RESTful and uses the JSON format. You have read in earlier columns about the different data formats for APIs and how to read the data presented by an API. As a refresher, /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/26/the-api-briefing-fred-and-alfred-serve-up-a-buffet-of-economic-data/ Wed, 26 Nov 2014 11:10:15 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/26/the-api-briefing-fred-and-alfred-serve-up-a-buffet-of-economic-data/ The federal government captures almost every economic data trend through several agencies. The Federal Reserve of St. Louis offers 238,000 economic trends through FRED® (Federal Reserve Economic Data). FRED® data can be accessed through the FRED® website or the FRED® mobile app (Android | Apple). FRED® data can /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/19/the-api-briefing-keeping-an-eye-on-crime-with-the-national-crime-victimization-survey-api/ Wed, 19 Nov 2014 11:05:42 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/19/the-api-briefing-keeping-an-eye-on-crime-with-the-national-crime-victimization-survey-api/ Every year, the Bureau of Justice Statistics surveys nearly 80,000 households and over 143,000 individuals about crime victimization. What is unique about this survey is that both reported and unreported crimes data is collected. The survey has a well-documented API which offers data in the CSV, XML, and JSON formats. Let’s examine the documentation to /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/12/the-api-briefing-the-fun-finder-the-recreation-information-database/ Wed, 12 Nov 2014 13:00:44 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/12/the-api-briefing-the-fun-finder-the-recreation-information-database/ Back in 2000, I worked at a dot-com building website applications such as a real-time stock ticker ribbon and a real estate listings search engine. One of my favorite applications was an app for mobile phones. At that time, I used the Wireless Access Protocol (WAP), which displayed information using a special version of XHTML. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/05/the-api-briefing-brainstorming-ideas-for-apps/ Wed, 05 Nov 2014 13:49:09 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/05/the-api-briefing-brainstorming-ideas-for-apps/ Data.gov has 130,000+ datasets (as of November 3, 2014) many of which are designed for application developers. In previous columns, I’ve showcased some of the great applications built using federal APIs. Have you wondered where the idea for an app came from? Some developers start with an idea and then look for the API that /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/22/the-api-briefing-home-energy-saver/ Wed, 22 Oct 2014 10:47:54 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/22/the-api-briefing-home-energy-saver/ It is fall when the weather becomes colder, and people start firing up their furnaces. While I was working on putting in more insulation and installing a programmable thermostat, I wondered if the federal government has an API to help me lower my /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/15/the-api-briefing-epas-water-quality-portal-api-merges-three-data-streams/ Wed, 15 Oct 2014 10:00:49 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/15/the-api-briefing-epas-water-quality-portal-api-merges-three-data-streams/ Access to clean water is fast becoming a vital issue in the 21st century. Changing climate patterns are drying up aquifers and limiting the amount of water runoff from thawing snow packs. Drought conditions in California are effecting hydroelectric production while dry conditions in the West have increased the frequency /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/08/the-api-briefing-cdcs-api-delivers-free-up-to-date-health-information-for-your-blog-or-website/ Wed, 08 Oct 2014 11:50:21 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/08/the-api-briefing-cdcs-api-delivers-free-up-to-date-health-information-for-your-blog-or-website/ The recent Ebola outbreaks demonstrate the need for current and authoritative health news. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the federal information source for Ebola and other infectious diseases, along with other public health data. Data.CDC.gov lists 48 datasets and views containing statistics from smoking to infectious diseases. Developers can use the /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/01/the-api-briefing-a-great-start-for-an-api-nlms-toxnet-web-service/ Wed, 01 Oct 2014 11:43:33 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/01/the-api-briefing-a-great-start-for-an-api-nlms-toxnet-web-service/ Glad to be back after a three-week absence. I was preparing for the South Eastern Conference on Public Administration held in Atlanta this year. Great conversations and I can tell you that the academic community is hungry for more government data and APIs. A great example is this week’s API Briefing: the U.S. National Library /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/09/03/the-api-briefing-finding-help-for-the-elderly-the-eldercare-locator-api/ Wed, 03 Sep 2014 11:00:53 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/09/03/the-api-briefing-finding-help-for-the-elderly-the-eldercare-locator-api/ If you have ever been a caregiver for an elderly family member or friend, you know that there are many resources to help you in giving care. But finding these resources can be difficult and frustrating. The Administration on Aging in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been guiding people to local /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/27/the-api-briefing-mining-the-rich-data-resources-of-nasa-the-international-space-apps-challenges/ Wed, 27 Aug 2014 11:00:34 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/27/the-api-briefing-mining-the-rich-data-resources-of-nasa-the-international-space-apps-challenges/ The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has an enormous collection of aerospace and science data sets. NASA missions and projects can create amazing amounts of data. One example: the Earth Observing System Data and Information System has collected enough information to fill the Library of Congress (Data.NASA.gov). A more recent example: the Solar Dynamics /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/20/the-api-briefing-back-to-school-u-s-department-of-education-apis/ Wed, 20 Aug 2014 10:00:19 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/20/the-api-briefing-back-to-school-u-s-department-of-education-apis/ As the new school season approaches, it is a good time to see what federal datasets are available for educational app developers. Visit the developers’ page at ED.gov to find 36 educational datasets for educational levels. The datasets can be accessed in CSV, JSON, /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/13/the-api-briefing-writable-apis-the-federal-register-gov-commenting-feature/ Wed, 13 Aug 2014 11:46:28 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/13/the-api-briefing-writable-apis-the-federal-register-gov-commenting-feature/ FederalRegister.gov just released a writable API that allows citizens to comment directly on proposed regulations. When a user is viewing a regulation on FederalRegister.gov, he or she can click on the “Submit a Formal Comment” button. A textbox appears, and the comment is recorded for that particular regulation. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/06/the-api-briefing-an-api-that-searches-other-apis-healthdata-govs-catalog-api/ Wed, 06 Aug 2014 10:00:34 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/06/the-api-briefing-an-api-that-searches-other-apis-healthdata-govs-catalog-api/ As federal agencies release APIs on an almost daily basis, keeping track of the numerous datasets has become a vital service for developers. The Department for Health and Human Services (HHS) manages HealthData.Gov which currently lists 1,680 datasets in 36 categories such as “Public Health,” “Health Care Cost,” and “Health Statistics.” To help developers find /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/23/the-api-briefing-mapping-food-deserts-the-usda-economic-research-services-gis-map-services/ Wed, 23 Jul 2014 10:00:27 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/23/the-api-briefing-mapping-food-deserts-the-usda-economic-research-services-gis-map-services/ Food deserts are areas where residents have little or no access to nutritional food. Food deserts exist because of low-incomes, lack of transportation, or too few stores that stock produce and other healthy food items. Governments from the local level to federal have implemented grant programs to encourage grocery store construction in the food deserts. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/16/the-api-briefing-realtrack-how-hackathons-help-create-apps-from-apis/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 10:00:12 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/16/the-api-briefing-realtrack-how-hackathons-help-create-apps-from-apis/ Once a federal agency releases an API, there are several ways they can be used in apps. The most common method is through hackathons. Hackathons are where an agency or agencies present the API(s) and invite developers to create prototype apps. The apps /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/11/lean-startup-changing-government-services-and-agencies-to-better-serve-the-citizens/ Fri, 11 Jul 2014 10:00:44 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/11/lean-startup-changing-government-services-and-agencies-to-better-serve-the-citizens/ It is easy to start a business today and especially an Internet-based business. Using the cloud, APIs, and hosted applications, an entrepreneur can quickly build a website/mobile app. The entrepreneur can hire freelancers to do everything from creating a logo to writing a business plan. Virtual assistant services can provide on-demand staff to meet business /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/09/the-api-briefing-how-apis-provide-localized-information-noaas-weather-service-data-and-fccs-broadband-services-map/ Wed, 09 Jul 2014 10:30:10 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/09/the-api-briefing-how-apis-provide-localized-information-noaas-weather-service-data-and-fccs-broadband-services-map/ The two featured APIs this week are excellent demonstrations of personalizing federal government data by where a user lives. Federal agencies collect a considerable amount of community data, from the Census Bureau’s surveys to the FDA’s local agricultural conditions. Thanks to GPS, app developers can locate a user’s immediate geographical location and tailor information based /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/02/the-api-briefing-apis-come-in-many-data-flavors/ Wed, 02 Jul 2014 10:00:44 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/02/the-api-briefing-apis-come-in-many-data-flavors/ This week, we will look at three different APIs that demonstrate how agencies use different technologies to serve out data. Presenting data in various formats encourages developers to build on federal APIs. As past columns have shown, the innovative apps created with federal data are quickly growing. The latest API news this week is how /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/25/the-api-briefing-the-census-bureaus-discovery-tool-find-the-right-api-for-your-app/ Wed, 25 Jun 2014 10:00:47 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/25/the-api-briefing-the-census-bureaus-discovery-tool-find-the-right-api-for-your-app/ The Census Bureau recently released a machine-readable dataset discovery service that lists 41 Census data sets. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/18/the-api-briefing-department-of-states-model-app-education-usa/ Wed, 18 Jun 2014 10:00:46 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/18/the-api-briefing-department-of-states-model-app-education-usa/ Not only does the Department of State have a great set of APIs, State also has an excellent example of how to build an informative and useful app. EducationUSA is a network of State Department advisers who help international students apply for U.S. university programs. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/11/the-api-briefing-quick-guide-to-using-github-fdas-openfda-research-project/ Wed, 11 Jun 2014 10:00:12 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/11/the-api-briefing-quick-guide-to-using-github-fdas-openfda-research-project/ The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just released the OpenFDA Research Project. At the heart of the project is the OpenFDA API, which allows developers to perform searches on FDA’s drug information database. Coming soon is the ability to search FDA information on medical devices and information about food. Visit the /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/04/the-api-briefing-naras-federal-register-api-learning-how-apis-work/ Wed, 04 Jun 2014 10:00:47 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/04/the-api-briefing-naras-federal-register-api-learning-how-apis-work/ Application programming interfaces (APIs) can be confusing when people first hear of the concept. There are the many acronyms like REST (Representational State Transfer) and JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) that further obscure what APIs do. The idea behind APIs is quite simple: APIs are how computer programs share information between themselves. You can experience this for /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/28/the-api-briefing-fdas-pillbox-unlocking-valuable-government-health-information-through-apis/ Wed, 28 May 2014 01:35:08 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/28/the-api-briefing-fdas-pillbox-unlocking-valuable-government-health-information-through-apis/ The Food and Drug Administration collects drug labeling information for human prescription, over-the-counter, homeopathic, and veterinary products through a special markup language called “Structured Product Labeling” (SPL). The database created from the SPL submissions is a treasure trove of health information that is valuable /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/21/the-api-briefing-keeping-up-with-federal-employee-training-dods-xapi/ Wed, 21 May 2014 13:00:10 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/21/the-api-briefing-keeping-up-with-federal-employee-training-dods-xapi/ Federal employee training is about to receive a much-needed boost in the President’s 2015 Budget Request. Training is essential to the federal workforce and agencies have a number of learning management systems to deliver online training along with the traditional classroom training. The problem is that all of these training sources don’t share information with /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/13/the-api-briefing-usdas-farmers-market-directory-api/ Tue, 13 May 2014 15:02:26 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/13/the-api-briefing-usdas-farmers-market-directory-api/ Around the D.C. area, one of the first signs of spring are the numerous farmers markets. In my neighborhood alone, I regularly visit four farmers markets that have a wide variety of produce and baked goods. Farmers markets are good for the local economy, and the easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables helps local /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/10/policyops-a-better-way-to-create-and-implement-government-policies-and-programs/ Thu, 10 Apr 2014 02:06:42 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/10/policyops-a-better-way-to-create-and-implement-government-policies-and-programs/ “PolicyOps” is a better way to create and implement government policies and programs through cutting-edge data analytics and new collaboration methods. PolicyOps (“Policy” plus “Operations”) is a new proposal for improving policy making and policy implementation. Based on a cutting-edge IT management method, DevOps (“Development” plus “Operations”), PolicyOps has two major concepts. First, closer collaboration