Collaborative Geographic Information Systems for Business Intelligence

This paper shows a number of sceneries where information (specifically, geographical-related information) is lost because there is no method for storing or sharing it. This research has been done with the aim to solve those scenery problems in a general way, by means of a geographical information system that can store geographical-related information and publish it in order to avoid loss of information and enabling geographical information sharin

Towards a Comparative Approach to Manuscript Study on the Web: the Case of the Lancelot-Grail Romance

This paper presents an outline of the on-going Lancelot-Grail Project, an interdisciplinary collaborative research project drawing together, analysing, and making available in text and picture the surviving manuscripts of the popular Arthurian romance known as the Lancelot-Grail. The project uses web technology as part of the analytical process and as a means to navigate within the material, presenting models based on the concepts of geographic information systems (GIS) in a non-traditional context

HowTo - Easy use of global unique identifier

Czerniak A, Schirnick C, Fleischer D, Mehrtens H, Springer P. HowTo - Easy use of global unique identifier. Presented at the AGU Fall Meeting 2013, San Francisco, US.First Step We use our scientifi c workfl ow system to defi ne the research workfl ow step by step. In every workstep metadata information is used to prebind to the proper identifi er system (eg. ports from geographic places and not people) which can then propose adequate suggestions upon user input leading to the correct assignment of the port in question. Sometimes a mapping between identifi er resources such as the german " Gemeinsame Normdatei " (GND) for people , institutions or geographic places and another like ISNI or OrcID for people only may be necessary for legacy reasons. For example our handwriting recognition system in conjunction with " digital enabled " paper uses names and maps to relate those to the respective systems in order to retrieve a global unique identifi er which is then used to reliably relate and store information (Figure 2). Identifi er system are ubiquitous but commonly they are not global(ly known) nor are they unique (national vs. international). Usage of global identifi ers in marine research greatly enhances search and retrieval of samples, data and related information and enbales scientists all over the world to reliably share and reuse research data. For many scientifi c disciplines numerous identifi er systems exists on a national and international level allowing non-ambiguous refernce to people, institutions and geosamples (Figure 1). Our goal is to reliably integrate these unique references in our virtual research environment, the Kiel Data Management Infrastructure (KDMI), supporting scientists in national and international projects and collaborative research centers

Between Sense and Sensibility: Declarative narrativisation of mental models as a basis and benchmark for visuo-spatial cognition and computation focussed collaborative cognitive systems

What lies between `\emph{sensing}' and `\emph{sensibility}'? In other words, what kind of cognitive processes mediate sensing capability, and the formation of sensible impressions ---e.g., abstractions, analogies, hypotheses and theory formation, beliefs and their revision, argument formation--- in domain-specific problem solving, or in regular activities of everyday living, working and simply going around in the environment? How can knowledge and reasoning about such capabilities, as exhibited by humans in particular problem contexts, be used as a model and benchmark for the development of collaborative cognitive (interaction) systems concerned with human assistance, assurance, and empowerment? We pose these questions in the context of a range of assistive technologies concerned with \emph{visuo-spatial perception and cognition} tasks encompassing aspects such as commonsense, creativity, and the application of specialist domain knowledge and problem-solving thought processes. Assistive technologies being considered include: (a) human activity interpretation; (b) high-level cognitive rovotics; (c) people-centred creative design in domains such as architecture & digital media creation, and (d) qualitative analyses geographic information systems. Computational narratives not only provide a rich cognitive basis, but they also serve as a benchmark of functional performance in our development of computational cognitive assistance systems. We posit that computational narrativisation pertaining to space, actions, and change provides a useful model of \emph{visual} and \emph{spatio-temporal thinking} within a wide-range of problem-solving tasks and application areas where collaborative cognitive systems could serve an assistive and empowering function.Comment: 5 pages, research statement summarising recent publication

Spanning Boundaries in an Arizona Watershed Partnership: Information Networks as Tools for Entrenchment or Ties for Collaboration?

The need to develop successful collaborative strategies is an enduring problem in sustainable resource management. Our goal is to evaluate the relationship between information networks and conflict in the context of collaborative groundwater management in the rapidly growing central highland region of Arizona. In this region, water-management conflicts have emerged because of stakeholders’ differing geographic perspectives and competing scientific claims. Using social network analyses, we explored the extent to which the Verde River Basin Partnership (VRBP), which was charged with developing and sharing scientific information, has contributed to collaboration in the region. To accomplish this, we examined the role that this stakeholder partnership plays in reinforcing or overcoming the geographic, ideological, expert, and power conflicts among its members. Focusing on information sharing, we tested the extent to which several theoretically important elements of successful collaboration were evidenced by data from the VRBP. The structure of information sharing provides insight into ways in which barriers between diverse perspectives might be retained and elucidates weaknesses in the partnership. To characterize information sharing, we examined interaction ties among individuals with different geographic concerns, hierarchical scales of interest, belief systems (about science, the environment, and the role of the partnership), and self-identified expertise types. Results showed that the partnership’s information-sharing network spans most of these boundaries. Based on current theories of collaboration, we would expect the partnership network to be conducive to collaboration. We found that information exchanges are limited by differences in connection patterns across actor expertise and environmental-belief systems. Actors who view scientists as advocates are significantly more likely to occupy boundary-spanning positions, that appear to impede the success of the partnership. This analysis challenges widely held assumptions about the properties that separate successful collaborations from those that are less successful. It has implications for our understanding of the factors that constrain information processing, knowledge production, and collective-action capability in institutions

Enhancing Data Classification Quality of Volunteered Geographic Information

Geographic data is one of the fundamental components of any Geographic Information System (GIS). Nowadays, the utility of GIS becomes part of everyday life activities, such as searching for a destination, planning a trip, looking for weather information, etc. Without a reliable data source, systems will not provide guaranteed services. In the past, geographic data was collected and processed exclusively by experts and professionals. However, the ubiquity of advanced technology results in the evolution of Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI), when the geographic data is collected and produced by the general public. These changes influence the availability of geographic data, when common people can work together to collect geographic data and produce maps. This particular trend is known as collaborative mapping. In collaborative mapping, the general public shares an online platform to collect, manipulate, and update information about geographic features. OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a prominent example of a collaborative mapping project, which aims to produce a free world map editable and accessible by anyone. During the last decade, VGI has expanded based on the power of crowdsourcing. The involvement of the public in data collection raises great concern about the resulting data quality. There exist various perspectives of geographic data quality this dissertation focuses particularly on the quality of data classification (i.e., thematic accuracy). In professional data collection, data is classified based on quantitative and/or qualitative ob- servations. According to a pre-defined classification model, which is usually constructed by experts, data is assigned to appropriate classes. In contrast, in most collaborative mapping projects data classification is mainly based on individualsa cognition. Through online platforms, contributors collect information about geographic features and trans- form their perceptions into classified entities. In VGI projects, the contributors mostly have limited experience in geography and cartography. Therefore, the acquired data may have a questionable classification quality. This dissertation investigates the challenges of data classification in VGI-based mapping projects (i.e., collaborative mapping projects). In particular, it lists the challenges relevant to the evolution of VGI as well as to the characteristics of geographic data. Furthermore, this work proposes a guiding approach to enhance the data classification quality in such projects. The proposed approach is based on the following premises (i) the availability of large amounts of data, which fosters applying machine learning techniques to extract useful knowledge, (ii) utilization of the extracted knowledge to guide contributors to appropriate data classification, (iii) the humanitarian spirit of contributors to provide precise data, when they are supported by a guidance system, and (iv) the power of crowdsourcing in data collection as well as in ensuring the data quality. This cumulative dissertation consists of five peer-reviewed publications in international conference proceedings and international journals. The publications divide the disser- tation into three parts the first part presents a comprehensive literature review about the relevant previous work of VGI quality assurance procedures (Chapter 2), the second part studies the foundations of the approach (Chapters 3-4), and the third part discusses the proposed approach and provides a validation example for implementing the approach (Chapters 5-6). Furthermore, Chapter 1 presents an overview about the research ques- tions and the adapted research methodology, while Chapter 7 concludes the findings and summarizes the contributions. The proposed approach is validated through empirical studies and an implemented web application. The findings reveal the feasibility of the proposed approach. The output shows that applying the proposed approach results in enhanced data classification quality. Furthermore, the research highlights the demands for intuitive data collection and data interpretation approaches adequate to VGI-based mapping projects. An interaction data collection approach is required to guide the contributors toward enhanced data quality, while an intuitive data interpretation approach is needed to derive more precise information from rich VGI resources

Use of the Internet in the diffusion of GIS for General Practices in Victoria, Australia

This paper describes the delivery of a Geographic Information System (GIS) product through the Internet for primary health care services provided at general medical practices in the State of Victoria, Australia. The paper details a collaborative research project, the principal aim of which was to develop a methodology for creating a GIS as a decision support system, for more effective use of information about population and health services at a given location. The methodology employed is based on the ability of a GIS to establish interrelationships between a combination of health, geographic, and demographic data. An overview of GIS as a technology that allows geospatial data to be analyzed, displayed, and queried is given. The results of the project can be demonstrated through a live presentation, detailing specific and generic reasons for the choice of the Internet as the preferred delivery mechanism. The paper concludes with the identification of important issues related to the research and use of the World Wide Web for Geographic Information Systems and Health

Use of the Internet in the diffusion of GIS for General Practices in Victoria, Australia

This paper describes the delivery of a Geographic Information System (GIS) product through the Internet for primary health care services provided at general medical practices in the State of Victoria, Australia. The paper details a collaborative research project, the principal aim of which was to develop a methodology for creating a GIS as a decision support system, for more effective use of information about population and health services at a given location. The methodology employed is based on the ability of a GIS to establish interrelationships between a combination of health, geographic, and demographic data. An overview of GIS as a technology that allows geospatial data to be analyzed, displayed, and queried is given. The results of the project can be demonstrated through a live presentation, detailing specific and generic reasons for the choice of the Internet as the preferred delivery mechanism. The paper concludes with the identification of important issues related to the research and use of the World Wide Web for Geographic Information Systems and Health

Technology Integration around the Geographic Information: A State of the Art

One of the elements that have popularized and facilitated the use of geographical information on a variety of computational applications has been the use of Web maps; this has opened new research challenges on different subjects, from locating places and people, the study of social behavior or the analyzing of the hidden structures of the terms used in a natural language query used for locating a place. However, the use of geographic information under technological features is not new, instead it has been part of a development and technological integration process. This paper presents a state of the art review about the application of geographic information under different approaches: its use on location based services, the collaborative user participation on it, its contextual-awareness, its use in the Semantic Web and the challenges of its use in natural languge queries. Finally, a prototype that integrates most of these areas is presented