Definition: Linked Open Data (LOD) defines a vision of globaly
accessible and linked data on the internet based on the RDF standards of
the semantic web. LOD is often thought of as a virtual data cloud where
anyone can access any data they are authorized to see and may also add
to any data without disturbing the original data source. This provides
an open environment where data can be created, connected and consumed on
internet scale. A basic theory of LOD is that data has more value if it
can be connected to other data. Data, in this context, is any
structured web-based information.
LOD has been proposed as the basis for open government and for solving many of the data integration issues.