Crowdsourcing Geographic Knowledge

The phenomenon of volunteered geographic information is part of a profound transformation in how geographic data, information, and knowledge are produced and circulated. By situating volunteered geographic information (VGI) in the context of big-data deluge and the data-intensive inquiry, the 20 chapters in this book explore both the theories and applications of crowdsourcing for geographic knowledge production with three sections focusing on 1). VGI, Public Participation, and Citizen Science; 2). Geographic Knowledge Production and Place Inference; and 3). Emerging Applications and New Challenges. This book argues that future progress in VGI research depends in large part on building strong linkages with diverse geographic scholarship. Contributors of this volume situate VGI research in geography’s core concerns with space and place, and offer several ways of addressing persistent challenges of quality assurance in VGI. This book positions VGI as part of a shift toward hybrid epistemologies, and potentially a fourth paradigm of data-intensive inquiry across the sciences. It also considers the implications of VGI and the exaflood for further time-space compression and new forms, degrees of digital inequality, the renewed importance of geography, and the role of crowdsourcing for geographic knowledge production.

The phenomenon of volunteered geographic information is part of a profound transformation in how geographic data, information, and knowledge are produced and circulated. By situating volunteered geographic information (VGI) in the context of big-data deluge and the data-intensive inquiry, the 20 chapters in this book explore both the theories and applications of crowdsourcing for geographic knowledge production with three sections focusing on 1). VGI, Public Participation, and Citizen Science; 2). Geographic Knowledge Production and Place Inference; and 3). Emerging Applications and New Challenges. This book argues that future progress in VGI research depends in large part on building strong linkages with diverse geographic scholarship. Contributors of this volume situate VGI research in geography’s core concerns with space and place, and offer several ways of addressing persistent challenges of quality assurance in VGI. This book positions VGI as part of a shift toward hybrid epistemologies, and potentially a fourth paradigm of data-intensive inquiry across the sciences. It also considers the implications of VGI and the exaflood for further time-space compression and new forms, degrees of digital inequality, the renewed importance of geography, and the role of crowdsourcing for geographic knowledge production.

With the growth of information technology, many new communication channels and platforms have emerged. This growth has advanced the work of crowdsourcing, allowing individuals and companies in various industries to coordinate efforts on different levels and in different areas. Providing new and unique sources of knowledge outside organizations enables innovation and shapes competitive advantage. Crowdsourcing: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is a collection of innovative research on the methods and applications of crowdsourcing in business operations and management, science, healthcare, education, and politics. Highlighting a range of topics such as crowd computing, macrotasking, and observational crowdsourcing, this multi-volume book is ideally designed for business executives, professionals, policymakers, academicians, and researchers interested in all aspects of crowdsourcing.

In this paper we examine three geographic crowdsourcing models, namely: volunteered geographic information (VGI), citizen science (CS) and participatory mapping (PM) (Goodchild, 2007; Audubon Society, 1900; and Peluso, 1995). We argue that these geographic knowledge producing practices can be adopted by governments to keep databases up to date (Budhathoki et al., 2008), to gain insight about natural resources (Conrad and Hilchey, 2011), to better understand the socio-economy of the people it governs (Johnston and Sieber, 2013) and as a form of data-based public engagement. The paper will be useful to governments and public agencies considering using geographic crowdsourcing in the future. We begin by defining VGI, CS, PM and crowdsourcing. Two typologies are then offered as methods to conceptualize these practices and the Kitchin (2014) data assemblage framework is proposed as a method by which state actors can critically examine their data infrastructures. A selection of exemplary VGI, CS and PM from Canada and the Republic of Ireland are discussed and the paper concludes with some high level recommendations for administrations considering a geographic approach to crowdsourcing.

Little did Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and other ‘gentlemen scientists’ know, when they were making their scientific discoveries, that some centuries later they would inspire a new field of scientific practice and innovation, called citizen science. The current growth and availability of citizen science projects and relevant applications to support citizen involvement is massive; every citizen has an opportunity to become a scientist and contribute to a scientific discipline, without having any professional qualifications. With geographic interfaces being the common approach to support collection, analysis and dissemination of data contributed by participants, ‘geographic citizen science’ is being approached from different angles. Geographic Citizen Science Design takes an anthropological and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) stance to provide the theoretical and methodological foundations to support the design, development and evaluation of citizen science projects and their user-friendly applications. Through a careful selection of case studies in the urban and non-urban contexts of the Global North and South, the chapters provide insights into the design and interaction barriers, as well as on the lessons learned from the engagement of a diverse set of participants; for example, literate and non-literate people with a range of technical skills, and with different cultural backgrounds. Looking at the field through the lenses of specific case studies, the book captures the current state of the art in research and development of geographic citizen science and provides critical insight to inform technological innovation and future research in this area.

Geographic data is a valuable source of information in modern society. By utilizing alternative sources of this data, the availability and potential applications of geographic information systems can be increased. Volunteered Geographic Information and the Future of Geospatial Data is a pivotal reference source for the latest scholarly research on information gathering from volunteers, as opposed to official agencies and private companies, to compile geospatial data. Highlighting a range of pertinent topics such as regional landscape mapping, road safety, and land usage, this book is ideally designed for researchers, academics, students, professionals, and practitioners interested in the growing area of volunteered geographic information.

The book provides an overview of the state-of-the-art of map construction algorithms, which use tracking data in the form of trajectories to generate vector maps. The most common trajectory type is GPS-based trajectories. It introduces three emerging algorithmic categories, outlines their general algorithmic ideas, and discusses three representative algorithms in greater detail. To quantify map construction algorithms, the authors include specific datasets and evaluation measures. The datasets, source code of map construction algorithms and evaluation measures are publicly available on http://www.mapconstruction.org. The web site serves as a repository for map construction data and algorithms and researchers can contribute by uploading their own code and benchmark data. Map Construction Algorithms is an excellent resource for professionals working in computational geometry, spatial databases, and GIS. Advanced-level students studying computer science, geography and mathematics will also find this book a useful tool.

Decision makers, such as government officials, need to better understand human activity in order to make informed decisions. With the ability to measure and explore geographic space through the use of geospatial intelligence data sources including imagery and mapping data, they are better able to measure factors affecting the human population. As a broad field of study, geospatial research has applications in a variety of fields including military science, environmental science, civil engineering, and space exploration. Geospatial Intelligence: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications explores multidisciplinary applications of geographic information systems to describe, assess, and visually depict physical features and to gather data, information, and knowledge regarding human activity. Highlighting a range of topics such as geovisualization, spatial analysis, and landscape mapping, this multi-volume book is ideally designed for data scientists, engineers, government agencies, researchers, and graduate-level students in GIS programs.

Floods can have a devastating impact on life, property and economic resources. However, the systematic collection of damage data in the aftermath of flood events can contribute to future risk mitigation. Such data can support a variety of actions including the identification of priorities for intervention during emergencies, the creation of complete event scenarios to tailor risk mitigation strategies, the definition of victim compensation schemes, and the validation of damage models to feed cost-benefit analysis of mitigation actions. Volume highlights include: Compilation of real world case studies elaborating on the survey experiences and best practices associated with flood damage data collection, storage and analysis, that can help strategize flood risk mitigation in an efficient manner Coverage of different flooding phenomena such as riverine and mountain floods, spatial analysis from local to global scales, and stakeholder perspectives, e.g. public decision makers, researchers, private companies Contributions from leading experts in the field, researchers and practitioners, including civil protection actors working at different spatial and administrative level, insurers, and professionals working in the field of natural hazard risks mitigation Flood Damage Survey and Assessment: New Insights from Research and Practice will be a valuable resource for earth scientists, hydrologists, meteorologists, geologists, geographers, civil engineers, insurers, policy makers, and planners. Read an interview with the editors to find out more: https://eos.org/editors-vox/the-value-of-disaster-damage-data