While there is a lot of talk about how we now live in a knowledge society, the reality has been less impressive: We have yet to truly transition to a knowledge society-in part, this book argues, because discussion mostly focuses on a knowledge economy and information society rather than on ways to mobilise to create an actual knowledge society. That all may change, however, with the rise of open data and big data. This book considers the role of the open data movement in fostering transformation, showing that at the heart of any successful mobilisation will be an emerging open data ecosystem and new ways for societal actors to effectively produce and use data.

Bridgette Wessels , Professor of Sociology in the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology at the University of Newcastle, UK. Her research focuses on the social aspects of digital innovations and she has written 6 books in this area, recent books are Exploring Social Change (Palgrave, 2014), the Cultural Dynamics of Innovation (VDM Verlag, 2011) and Understanding the Internet (Palgrave, 2010). Rachel Finn is a Senior Research Analyst at Trilateral Research & Consulting. Her Research Focuses on data science, including the use of open data and big data for innovation, privacy, data protection and the social impacts of new technologies. Her latest co-authored book on the social impacts of surveillance technologies was published by Routledge (2014). Kush Wadhwa is a Senior Partner at Trilateral Research & Consulting. He provides advanced research and advisory services with respect to emerging technologies in security, ICT and data sciences. He has also provided consulting services to the UN, NATO, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the UK Home Office.

Chapter One: IntroductionChapter Two: Defining a 'Knowledge Society'Chapter Three: Visions of Open DataChapter Four: Mobilizing Open DataChapter Five: Institutions in the Data Ecosystem: Actors in the Public Knowledge Domain and in Private Data CompaniesChapter Six: Mobilizing Data: Scientific Disciplines, Scientific Practice, and Making Research Data OpenChapter Seven: Mobilizing Data: Environmental Data, Technical and Governance IssuesChapter Eight: Navigating Legal and Ethical Regulatory FrameworksChapter Nine: Big Data, Open Data, and the Commercial Sector