Crowdsourced Geospatial Data: A Report on the Emerging Phenomena of Crowdsourced and User-Generated Geospatial Data

Crowdsourced geospatial data CGD is an important emerging trend that will influence future methods for geospatial data production and use. Related to broader developments in user-generated content, CGD involves the participation of end-users, many of who are untrained in the geospatial sciences but have a high degree of interest in geospatial technology. Working collectively, these end-users collect, edit, and produce datasets create mapping applications, and develop tools for CGD. Crowdsourced geospatial data production is typically an open, lightly controlled process with few constraints, specifications, or quality assurance processes. This sharply contrasts with the less flexible and more controlled authoritative geospatial data production practices of national mapping agencies and businesses. Adoption of CGD and production methods has been a concern, especially to Government organizations, due quality concerns related to differences in production methods. We review CGD projects addressing common geospatial data collection tasks and demonstrating varied approaches to quality control, including hybrid projects that mix crowdsourced geospatial data and tools with authoritative data. The most common methods for quality assessment are summarized along with a comprehensive set of fitness-for-use considerations. Based on this information, lessons learned and future trends are summarized.