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The Innovation Africa @UP Information Hub

The cloud-based, community-driven, self-help data platform for transdisciplinary research

THE VALUE OF
THE INFORMATION HUB

WHAT WE DO

The Information Hub proposed the engineering of a data platform that is developed for functioning on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) service. The Information Hub platform will consist out of “innovation spaces” for various role-playing partners, each with isolated resources, billing, data, and research efforts. Each partner or project can implement its own tools and resources.

HOW WE DO IT

The Information Hub Platform and Application is a two-fold service, utilising existing infrastructure and adding an easy-to-use layer for the data science pipeline.

Infrastructure

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) provides the lower level, immediate tools and services that are needed to address immediate research needs. This layer caters well for the research scientifically.

Platform

The platform provides a higher level, central point of work, that will provide simplified mechanisms for data modelling, data ingestion, form building, visualisation and provides for a mechanism of exposure in the community.

Application

The application is a fully developed real-time app that allow researchers, citizen, and scientist with data indigestion.

HOW WE DO IT

The goal of the Innovation Hub remains that of one that will allow for identifying elements that contribute to the project through support (advice and sharing of common resources) with respect to data management developments and other related endeavors. The different data overlaps for the various partners include:

White Structure

Proprietary Data

Data is private to the partner

Internally Shared Data

Data is shared with the IH team internally

Community Shared Data

Data is shared with the IH partners amongst each other

Public Shared Data

Data is shared with the public

HOW WE GOVERN DATA EFFECTIVELY

Standard services to be provided by the Information Hub. The remaining tasks to perform or services to be provided can be agreed upon through the financial model.

DATA OWNERSHIP

The Information Hub will be informed of the legal ownership of the data, and any protection of rights that might be required in terms of the types of data.

DATA SECURITY

The Information Hub will ensure access control management in accordance with the requirements of the partner.

DATA GOVERNANCE

The Information Hub will be responsible for data governance related to data governance for shared data streams. Data governance is influenced by national legislation and regulations, discipline-specific data regulations, data ethics, codes of conduct, best practices, and the Terms and References of external service providers.

WHERE TO START TOGETHER

The Information Hub will use the T-shirt model to do a pre-estimate of project size and complexity:

XS

Project can be implemented in the Application using the functionality provided with little to no help from the Information Hub team on setup and creation of forms, tables, storage, APIs, wikis, etc.

S

Project can be implemented in the Application using the functionality provided with more hands-on help required from the Information Hub team.

M

Project uses functionality in the Application and additionally requires small customisation or small development changes to cater for specific requirements that is not part of the current product.

L

Project uses the functionality in the Application and additionally requires custom development for integration and customisation.

XL

Project uses the functionality in the Application to a great extent and additionally requires the development of a separate app/system/platform that uses the Information Hub for back-end support purposes.

Join the community and start your project

© 2021 - Innovation Africa @UP - Information Hub - All Rights Reserved

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