Structuring Hansard transcripts into interoperable and reusable data

Abstract

Information Services Branch at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario began exploring better methods of how to improve access to legislative information frequently requested by MPPs, their staff and the public. As open, structured content is the most empowering development of legislative information dissemination since the Legislative Assembly began publishing content online, our focus was to turn documents into usable data. This case study describes how the team structure House Hansard transcripts into interoperable and reusable data. It will provide a summary of the Advanced Hansard Search (AHS) Modernization Project and examples of how the structured Hansard transcript datasets are being used in different applications and services at the Legislative Assembly.