The Devil is in the Data: Collection, Representation, and Standardization

Data used in GIS applications is a vital part to the mapping process. As data is created to represent nearly everything in our world, the individual characteristics of the data must be standardized in order to be shared.

Census data is probably the most widely used and trusted form of data collection but it does have its problems.

  • It still misses segments of the population: homeless people, disenfranchised people, and people who are suspicious of government intervention are among those not counted.
  • Problems with the sampling size and undercounting in poorly funded and politically underrepresented counties.

Other types of data collection use measurement tools such as rain gauges, sonar imaging and GPS technology.

Metadata – data about data

Metadat includes information such as when was the data collected? What is the time period? What projection was used? How was the data collected? and What kind of quality measures were taken?

Data Interoperability – merging data into so it can be shared more easily. (Data compatibility) Very challenging because two different people may have completely different definitions of words like urban or pond. (Does pond refer to a small lake or do some consider larger bodies of water ponds as well?)

Advertisement