Crowdsourced Geographic Information Use in Government
Description:... The acceptance of volunteered geographic information (VGI) as a valued and useful source of information for governments is growing at all levels. Put simply, VGI is “crowdsourced” geographic information provided by a wide range of participants with varying levels of education, knowledge and skills (see Michael Goodchild’s writing for the original definition of the term). While a growing body of research demonstrates the reliability and accuracy of VGI when compared to official or government produced data sets, the progression towards their adoption and wider use is slow. There are a range of mechanisms and methods available for ensuring that crowdsourced information is fit for purpose so concerns about data quality are not the major reason for the lack of adoption. Instead, organizational practices, regulations and legal issues limit the rate of change. This report is based on a six-month study of the use of VGI by government and aims to provide a guide for the successful implementation of VGI.
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