7 research outputs found
Exploring multi-granular documentation strategies for the representation, discovery and use of geographic information
This thesis explores how digital representations of geography and Geographic
Information (GI) may be described, and how these descriptions facilitate the use of
the resources they depict. More specifically, it critically examines existing geospatial
documentation practices and aims to identify opportunities for refinement therein,
whether when used to signpost those data assets documented, for managing and
maintaining information assets, or to assist in resource interpretation and
discrimination. Documentation of GI can therefore facilitate its utilisation; it can be
reasonably expected that by refining documentation practices, GI hold the potential
for being better exploited. The underpinning theme connecting the individual papers
of the thesis is one of multi-granular documentation. GI may be recorded at varying
degrees of granularity, and yet traditional documentation efforts have predominantly
focussed on a solitary level (that of the geospatial data layer). Developing
documentation practices to account for other granularities permits the description of
GI at different levels of detail and can further assist in realising its potential through
better discovery, interpretation and use. One of the aims of the current work is to
establish the merit of such multi-granular practices. Over the course of four research
papers and a short research article, proprietary as well as open source software
approaches are accordingly presented and provide proof-of-concept and conceptual
solutions that aim to enhance GI utilisation through improved documentation
practices. Presented in the context of an existing body of research, the proposed
approaches focus on the technological infrastructure supporting data discovery, the
automation of documentation processes and the implications of describing geospatial
information resources of varying granularity. Each paper successively contributes to the notion that geospatial resources are potentially better exploited when
documentation practices account for the multi-granular aspects of GI, and the
varying ways in which such documentation may be used. In establishing the merit of
multi-granular documentation, it is nevertheless recognised in the current work that
instituting a comprehensive documentation strategy at several granularities may be
unrealistic for some geospatial applications. Pragmatically, the level of effort
required would be excessive, making universal adoption impractical. Considering
however the ever-expanding volumes of geospatial data gathered and the demand for
ways of managing and maintaining the usefulness of potentially unwieldy
repositories, improved documentation practices are required. A system of
hierarchical documentation, of self-documenting information, would provide for
information discovery and retrieval from such expanding resource pools at multiple
granularities, improve the accessibility of GI and ultimately, its utilisation
An Analysis of GIS Services Websites in Academic Libraries
This study is a content analysis of a sample of GIS services websites in academic libraries. Websites studied belong to academic institutions that are participants in the Association of Research Libraries GIS Literacy Project and are designated Federal Depository libraries. This study specifically explores how academic libraries present GIS services on their websites and identifies potential barriers the websites may pose to users. Results indicate difficulties in website navigation and lack of advanced browsing applications for spatial data searching
Implementation of the Metadata Elements of the Inspire Directive
The INSPIRE Directive entered into force in 2007. The INSPIRE (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe) initiative seeks to set in place mechanisms for sharing spatial data across Europe. Metadata is one of these mechanisms: to enable discovery and to act as an information source about spatial data resources. This project examines the implementation of spatial data metadata in Ireland. Using an Irish public service organisation as a case study, the project examines how metadata creation and presentation could be optimised to provide the best value for the end user. This project also examines database tools that can be leveraged to place metadata within the spatial data maintenance workflow, while seeking to reduce the administrative burden on the domain experts who create the metadata
Turning data into information: assessing and reporting GIS metadata integrity using integrated computing technologies
A Geographic Information System (GIS) serves as the tangible and intangible means by which spatially related phenomena can be created, analyzed and rendered. GIS metadata serves as the formal framework to catalog information about a GIS data set. Metadata is independent of the encoded spatial and attribute information. GIS metadata is a subset of electronic metadata which catalogs electronic resources such as web pages
and software applications. However, GIS metadata is inherently different than electronic media because each metadata file can be applied to a spatial component that is not implicit with other forms of metadata. Using open source technologies such as R, Perl and PHP, metadata information
for large GIS data sets (thousands of layers) can be gleaned quickly and more efficiently than the human element. In doing so, metrics to express the integrity of both the metadata and GIS data can be captured, displayed and compared for use in the decision making process. Supervised and unsupervised techniques allow users and computer
algorithms to explore unseen trends about the GIS data not obvious to the human component. The validity of these analyses was tested using a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Responses from 40 GIS professionals about the results of this methodology were captured to find a relationship between this technology’s Perceived Ease of Use,
Perceived Usefulness, Attitude Towards Using and the Intention to Further use this technology
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Ocean Solutions, Earth Solutions
What affects the oceans affects terra firma. Ocean Solutions, Earth Solutions gathers the insights of more than 50 ocean and coastal science researchers exploring ocean components and their relationships, patterns, and trends over time and space. The book's 16 chapters feature geographic information system (GIS) best practices and include additional online resources.The book is edited by oceanographer and Esri Chief Scientist Dawn J. Wright and features a foreword by oceanographer David Gallo, director of special projects for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts.Keywords: marine resource management, GIS, mapping, ocean conservation, ocean scienc