Data everywhere, but are they fit for purpose?

Vast amounts of new data are fundamentally shaping how people manage their lives and do their work. The volume is overwhelming—Google Dataset Search discovers 2 million new datasets every month—and so are the uses by scientists, governments, and the public. Governments across the world are treating data as a strategic asset. But data alone are not enough. Infrastructure must be developed that can provide signals about which data are “fit for purpose” for the increasingly vast number of potential uses. Informed and appropriate use is, after all, the ultimate objective of making data available for the public good.