how authoritative can the crowd be?
DESCRIPTION
Can a crowdsourced geospatial database be considered authoritative? Indeed can any dataset that describes the real world be considered authoritative, whether crowd sourced or “professionally compiled”? Who determines authority? What constitutes authority in geodata? Does authority matter and if it does, why? What actions or processes might contribute to promoting crowdsourced geodata to a position of authority? I want to consider the nature of authority in geospatial data and whether it might be possible for a crowdsourced dataset such as OpenStreetMap (although these observations could apply to any crowdsourced geodata) to become authoritative or a primary reference source.TRANSCRIPT
How authoritative can the crowd be?Steven Feldman
A quick judgement
http://www.flickr.com/photos/safari_vacation/5929769873/
Whose Authority?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spunter/2907888414/
able to be trusted as being accurate or true; reliable: “clear, authoritative information and advice”“an authoritative source”(of a text) considered to be the best of its kind and unlikely to be improved upon:“this is likely to become the authoritative study of the subject”
commanding and self-confident; likely to be respected and obeyed:“his voice was calm and authoritative”proceeding from an official source and requiring compliance or obedience:“authoritative directives”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/topaz33/4735755952/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dorkomatic/5317150831/
A brief diversion into encyclopaedias
The legal view
http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthworm/189013050/
Hmmmm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rdmillar/1325739265/
What makes geodata authoritative?
Complete
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwr/2113499196/
Correctly attributed
http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottmarkwell/2207949953/
Authority > Accuracy
The National Mapping Agency
http://www.flickr.com/photos/osmapping/5201291064/
“Ordnance Survey is the national mapping agency of Great Britain, collecting, maintaining, managing and distributing the definitive record of the features of the natural, built and planned environment, the definitive record of official boundaries and the record of such other national geographic datasets as required by government and the private sector.
… This data will provide the framework to which other geographical data in Britain is referenced.”
Could another map be authoritative?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/harpreetsingh/48978787/
Even the OS isn’t perfect
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/2943810776/
How accurate is OSM in GB?
There is no one to blame
http://www.flickr.com/photos/a2gemma/1448178195/
Muki says …In 2010 coverage
at 69.8%
In 2010 coverage at 69.8% but
attribution 24.3%
the analysis of OSM shows
that deprived communities
and rural areas are not well
covered, especially when attributes are considered
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisfleming/5942012099/
Could OSM be an authoritative source for GB?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thorinside/194806347/
Users as Producers
OSM-GB WMS
WFS
Tile Service
Projected to OSGB
Data available for download/reuse
on OSM terms
FREE
! Rules based quality
improved
Will automated rules based processes improve quality?
Will formal QA increase confidence/authority?Will improved QA & confidence increase contribution?Can “professional” contributors be “motivated” to fill in gaps?Are there use cases that will support a sustainable commercial model for OSM-GB?
Some Research Questions
Can the crowd be authoritative?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/160534588/
Yes and No
Does it matter?
A final thought
Martin Usborne http://londonist.com
Maps don’t have to be authoritative, they can just
be fun and useful
Thank Youwww.osmgb.org.uk
www.knowhwerconsulting.co.uk