Data Quality Review for the National Museum of Ireland – OGP Framework in Action!

The NMI preserves Ireland’s heritage and makes it accessible to the public. With collections spanning archaeology, art, folklore, zoology, and more, across multiple sites, the museum’s records represent one of the country’s most valuable cultural resources.

The Strategic Plan 2023-2028 places digital access at the heart of the NMI’s mission. Yet, like many cultural institutions, legacy data entered over decades can be inconsistent. This creates challenges for staff and for those accessing collections. As the NMI notes:

“Messy data is a reality in all museums however it is imperative that the NMI present clean and usable data to our public audiences. Publicly accessible messy data is a reputational risk to the NMI but more importantly, presents a risk to our internal users, where inconsistent data interferes with workflows and the everyday business of the NMI.”

In the context of Ireland’s Open Data Strategy 2023–2027, the NMI has an opportunity to make its collections even more discoverable and impactful. Publishing clean, well-documented datasets in standard formats on interoperable open data platforms allows broader use by researchers, educators, policymakers, and the public.

The project to tackle legacy data quality with Derilinx has been designed in two stages:

• Phase One: An initial survey, reviewing a sample of collections data against defined quality metrics. This provided a first picture of the current landscape and highlighted priority areas for attention.
• Phase Two: A pilot review and remediation plan, focusing on selected domains of data. This will deliver steps to improve data consistency, data quality processes, and set out a roadmap for long-term data improvements.

With Phase One complete, we next work with NMI staff to put improvements into practice and establish a sustainable approach to managing legacy data. The goal is not simply to clean records, but to embed lasting processes. This lays the groundwork for future initiatives, such as reviewing data ownership and stewardship across the museum.

By investing in this work, the National Museum of Ireland is strengthening its role as a trusted steward of heritage. Clean, consistent data ensures that its collections are not only preserved but also accessible and valuable for generations to come. With support through the OGP Framework, Derilinx is proud to have helped the NMI take this step towards better data.