The use of spatial data quality – an underestimated

problem in geoinformation science

In decision-making process the value of spatial data and information derived from spatial data is directly related to its quality. Ignoring spatial data quality could result at the data misuse and at later stage in a remarkable economic loss or in wrong decisions. During its existence in past 30 years, research in the field of spatial data quality focused primarily on helping producers to evaluate the quality of their spatial datasets. International Organization for Standardization (ISO) offers standards to present spatial dataset quality as metadata and guidelines for data quality evaluation, with a list of applicable data quality measures. There are procedures and good practices for evaluation of spatial data quality in a specific context. The result of spatial data quality evaluation is typically documented in the spatial dataset’s metadata.

Nowadays, with ubiquitous presence of spatial data and services (e.g. sensor observation network, volunteered geographic information, citizen science, spatial data infrastructure), selecting the appropriate spatial datasets for use can be a difficult problem for users. Data providers often expect that their data quality parameters are also used by data consumers to specify their requirements. In a search for spatial data, the data user is expected to provide a detailed list of standard data quality elements and their values considered acceptable, which is a task that requires substantial expertise. Most of the time, users do know their application, but they do not know how to express their spatial data needs in a formal way. Moreover, interpretation of the detailed ISO standard metadata, written in professional jargon, is challenging for users that are not experts in geoinformation science. For such users, indicators, such as availability in a spatial extent, producers’ reputation and popularity, and cost involved in obtaining the data, may act as the important quality parameters.

The objective of the presentation is to discuss the quality as understood by various types of producers and users of spatial data resources, and as used in formal and informal spatial data infrastructures.